'Sister Wives' star Gabe Brown feels 'absolutely neglected' by dad Kody

Janelle and Kody Brown's fractured marriage and his estrangement from several of their children was a major focus of Season 17 of "Sister Wives." It continues to play out in the latest season of the reality series, which will likely build to the announcement of their separation in December 2022.

In the Season 18 "Sister Wives" premiere, Janelle Brown said she “can’t really be in a full relationship with him” if he’s on bad terms with their children.

“A big part of my relationship with Kody has been the fact that he was such an engaged father. He was such a good dad. And now he doesn’t want to be that anymore, so I don’t even know who that guy is. Who is that guy?” she says.

Once upon a time, the couple were part of a happy plural marriage. Janelle Brown became Kody Brown’s second wife in 1993. After marrying, the couple went on to have six children together and they now have three grandchildren.

Kody Brown has said that he regrets being estranged from two of the sons he share with Janelle Brown. Janelle Brown has been vocal about the impact their ongoing feud has had on her marriage.

Curious to learn more about the Brown family dynamics and the couple's other children? We're breaking down everything you need to know.

Logan Brown

Janelle and Kody Brown welcomed their first child, a son named Logan Brown, in 1994.

In 2017, Logan Brown got engaged to his girlfriend Michelle Petty after three years of dating. He proposed to his bride in Austin, Texas and shared the following story about their engagement with TLC shortly afterwards.

“Unfortunately nothing in my elaborate plan had successfully gone through,” he said. “So in desperation I found the prettiest view of the Colorado River, Congress Bridge. We walked out to the middle of the bridge and then I popped the question!”

The lovebirds built a home in Las Vegas and Janelle Brown helped them celebrate in July 2022 after they moved in.

Now 29, Logan Brown married Petty in October 2022 and the mother of the groom was beaming with pride in one of the photos she shared from the festivities.

“My kids ... and the new bride and groom. Some of us are already sweating from the legendary Brown family dancing at events,” she captioned the post.

A month later, the newlyweds hosted Thanksgiving at their new home and Janelle Brown joined them. Fans were quick to notice that the reality star was spending the holiday away from Kody Brown, who she is now separated from.

On his Instagram page, which Janelle Brown has tagged before, Logan Brown describes himself as a “student of gentlemanliness and sophisticated rowdiness.” He also calls himself a “coffee addict” and a lover of whiskey and beer on his profile.

The 29-year-old also has a master’s in business administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Madison Brown Brush

Janelle and Kody Brown welcomed their second child, a daughter named Madison, in 1995.

Now 27, Madison (Maddie) Brown Brush is married with three children. In 2015, she announced her engagement to Caleb Brush and the couple told People they didn't plan to have a plural marriage like her parents.

“We support Maddie’s family with their choice of living plural marriage and they support us with our choice in just marrying each other.” Caleb Brush said at the time.

The following year, the couple tied the knot. In 2017, the newlyweds became parents and had their first child, a son named Axel (now 6). In 2019, they welcomed a baby girl named Evie (now 4).

Just months after Evie's birth, Maddie Brown Brush revealed that the infant's rare genetic syndrome prevented the bones in her extremities from developing fully. In 2020, doctors removed Evie's foot in an effort to help aid her mobility.

In 2023, Maddie Brown Brush gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Josephine.

Hunter Brown

Born in 1997, Hunter Brown is Janelle and Kody Brown's third child. In 2020, his mom proudly wrote on Instagram he had graduated in the top 10 percent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and was moving on for more education.

"We are so proud of him. He is headed to Johns Hopkins for grad school this fall to complete a masters in nursing. It’s been a fun bonus for this mama to have him home for 3 months this summer," she wrote at the time.

Flash forward two years and Janelle Brown shared a sweet selfie with her son in honor of his 25th birthday.

"To my son who knows how to work hard and still have goofy fun! I love you honey," she captioned the post.

Hunter Brown moved closer to his mom in July 2022. She shared her excitement in an Instagram post, writing, “This mommas heart is bursting. My son Hunter is ‘local-ish’ for the first time in 7 years. He was home during Covid for a few months of course. But now he is truly ‘adulting’ and not very far away from me.”

In March 2023, Janelle Brown gave Hunter Brown's girlfriend Audrey Hubert a social media shoutout and shared a fun photo from their family night out.

"Dinner with my boys and Hunter’s girl Audrey. Such a fun evening and a bright spot in the day," she captioned the post.

The couple has been on hand for multiple family celebrations over the past year, including the wedding of Logan and Gwendlyn Brown.

Garrison Brown

In 1998, Janelle and Kody Brown added another child to their family: a son named Garrison Brown. The 25-year-old appears to be handy and refurbished an old camper trailer in 2020. His proud mom shared a photo of his handiwork on Instagram at the time.

Garrison Brown also built his mom a table in 2020. She thanked him on Instagram, writing, "There is a long line of carpenters on my dads side of the family. Maybe he has picked up that torch."

Over the years, Janelle Brown once gave her son a shoutout pitching in with housework and shared this photo of him making dinner for his mom in 2020 on a busy day.

"Today was so crazy for me, Gabe had his wisdom teeth out and there were a myriad of other appointments. I was all set to order something but Garrison said he would cook. They help out a lot around the house, but tonight was extra appreciated," she captioned the post.

Garrison Brown has a pet cat and also appears to be quite fond of his family's pets. In 2022, his mother posted a photo of him with their dogs. "The pups love when Garrison @robertthebrown comes to play," she captioned the post.

In 2023, Garrison Brown turned 25 and celebrated the big day with several of his siblings and his mother. His father was noticeably absent from the party. Their estrangement was a point of contention between Kody and Janelle Brown in Season 17 of "Sister Wives" and continues to be a divisive topic in Season 18.

Kody Brown began arguing with his sons Garrison and Gabriel Brown over his strict COVID-19 protocols during the pandemic. During a “Sister Wives: One on One” special last season, the father of 18 revealed that he hopes to reconcile with his sons one day.

“Boys, I’m sorry. I was trying to protect my family. Next time, I’d manage it differently and I’m sorry,” he said during the special when asked if he has a message for his sons.

In Season 18 Episode Four of "Sister Wives," Garrison Brown addressed his estrangement from his father during a confessional with his siblings Savanah and Gabe Brown.

"We’ve reached out and tried to be open and neglected and overlooked for offenses that were believed to have happened but they never did," he said.

Meanwhile, Kody Brown addressed the situation in his own confessional interview.

"The idea that they wanted to connect with Robyn and her kids or that Robyn and I are rejecting them is not true. I have reached out only to get rejection. They're not being fair," he said.

Gabriel Brown

Gabriel (Gabe) Brown, Janelle and Kody Brown’s second youngest child, was born in 2001. He appears to be pretty close with his older brother Garrison Brown and even enlisted his help in 2022 when he ran into some car troubles.

"It does a mama’s heart good to know she raised boys willing to help out — even each other. Gabe hit something in the road and Garrison came right away to help him get the tire (which of course had a stripped lug nut) off. AND it was raining like crazy. I went over to help but ended up being the cheerleader as I wasn’t really needed." Janelle Brown captioned the post.

When Gabe Brown cut his long hair and donated it to charity in 2022, Janelle Brown shared a video and said she liked his "new fresh look."

Gabe Brown turned 21 the same year and his mom posted a video from the celebrations.

During Season 17 of “Sister Wives,” Gabe Brown discussed his strained relationship with Kody Brown and explained why he officially stopped talking to his father.

“In January, I got COVID. I didn’t even have a fever, I just lost my smell. October rolls around — specifically Oct. 11, my birthday — and dad calls me and we have a small discussion about how bad my COVID was,” he said.

“I shouldn’t have done this but I did anyway. I didn’t remind him that it was my birthday because I wanted to see if he remembered and he didn’t,” he continued.

Gabe Brown explained that his father might've thought it was "just a phone call" but it was "a lot worse" for him.

“He tried to call me back, tell me ‘happy birthday’ and make up for it. And that’s the last time I ever talked to my dad,” he said.

Along with his brother Garrison Brown, Gabe Brown also clashed with Kody Brown over his strict COVID-19 protocols. Janelle Brown described the situation in Season 17.

“Kody and my boys are very estranged. He doesn’t even want to see their point of view. He’s like, ‘You’ve offended me. You’ve offended those that are close to me, aka Robyn. You guys have to come ... and apologize and grovel.’ You know, my boys are just not gonna do that,” she said.

In Season 18, Episode Four of "Sister Wives," Gabe Brown described the family's problems as "really hard" and said that he and his siblings have made an effort to keep the peace with the majority of the family.

"I am glad to maintain a pretty happy relationship with a lot of my family. I can't help (but) feel that we’ve kept the door open when some haven't," he explained.

Later in the same episode, Gabe Brown looked back on the recent Christmas that he and his siblings spent away from their father and suggested that Kody Brown was especially absent in their lives over the past year.

"I feel like Dad didn't make enough effort this year and maybe Robyn too. I definitely feel not really necessarily slighted by them, but absolutely neglected," he said.

Meanwhile, Robyn Brown claimed that Janelle and Kody's sons didn't want anything to do with her, her children or their father for Christmas and said it was "very heartbreaking."

Savanah Brown

Janelle and Kody Brown’s youngest child, daughter Savanah Brown, was born in 2004. Over the years, the mother of six has shared several photos from vacations with her daughter. She also posted a photo from a driving lesson while Savanah Brown was learning to drive in 2022.

In Season 17 of “Sister Wives,” Savanah Brown moved into a trailer with her mother, who wanted to build property on the Brown family property, called Coyote Pass.

Savanah Brown turned 18 in December 2022 and her mom celebrated on social media by sharing a video of her daughter blowing out the candles on her cake.

In May 2023, Savanah and Janelle Brown visited Christine Brown and her fiancé David Woolley in Utah and went on an off-roading adventure. They shared several videos from the outing and it looked like Savanah Brown was quite amused while her mother nervously provided commentary throughout the bumpy ride.

Later that month, the teen graduated from high school and her estranged parents reunited for the special occasion.

“Savanah has graduated! My children are all grown up. Such a beautiful day,” the proud mom captioned the post.

Afterwards, Janelle Brown revealed that Savanah Brown was spending the summer with her older sister, Maddie Brush Brown.

In Season 18 Episode Four of "Sister Wives," Savanah Brown discussed her her brothers' estrangement from their father and the family's overall fractured relationships.

“We were one big family and now we’re kind of separate," she said.

While chatting about the recent Christmas that she spent away from her father, the teen said the family made the best of the situation.

"I thought the Christmas we did with just mom and mom's kids was very quiet, but it was honestly in my opinion kind of pleasant. It was good," she said.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com