One of Kody Brown’s 18 children celebrated a birthday just this past Sunday.
Although you wouldn’t know it based on anything the Sister Wives patriarch did or said in a public manner for the occasion.
That’s because he didn’t do or say anything at all.
Which shouldn’t come as any kind of surprise to long-time viewers of this TLC reality show.
Kody, of course, has often garnered backlash for his lack of meaningful relationships with basically anyone in his family outside of Robyn Brown, his only legal spouse.
But there’s been an extra amount of attention paid to the way he’s treated daughter Ysabel.
The controversy dates back to September 2020 and Ysabel flying with her mother, Christine, to New Jersey during that time in order to have back surgery.
It was a big deal. It was a scary moment for any teenager to face. And Kody chose NOT to accompany his child on the trip.
“We’re back at my sister’s house now! What an intense week!!” wrote Christine shortly after returning him following the procedure.
She added of her then-17-year old:
” She’s feeling A LOT BETTER!!”
Kody, once again, did not acknowledge Ysabel in any way at the time.
On a Sister Wives episode that aired several months after Ysabel went under the knife, she admitted on air that her father’s (in)actions had left a scar.
“I need him to be there, but why isn’t he coming?” Ysabel actually cried on air.
“I don’t know, why wouldn’t he be there? Why wouldn’t he just drop everything for me? I think his priorities are a little screwed up.”
Folks have been saying this about Kody for a long time now.
Kody blamed COVID-19 back then for his decision to remain in Arizona, stating on the aforementioned episode:
“The amount of time, because of COVID and quarantining and stuff like that I would have to be away from the rest of the family, and because of the risk of exposure to COVID-19…
“What we’ve been trying to do is make it so I can see the entire family this entire time.”
Blah, blah, blah, you know?
For her part, meanwhile, Christine shared some throwback photos of her daughter on Sunday and posted a sweet birthday tribute in honor of Ysabel turning 19.
“Happy Birthday @ysabelpaigebrown,” she wrote. “You’re a delight!!”
Christine shares Ysabel with her ex-husband.
The former couple also shares son Paedon, 23, and daughters Aspyn, 27, Mykelti, 26, Gwendlyn, 20, and Truely, 12.
In November 2021, Christine announced her separation from Kody, 53, on Instagram. She said they had “grown apart” after 25 years together.
“We will continue to be a strong presence in each other’s lives as we parent our beautiful children and support our wonderful family,” Brown added.
Kody and Christine’s only son revealed in February that the two exes “do still speak, but there is a barrier there,” stating on social media:
“Mom does still speak to dad and she wants to make sure that Truely has a relationship with dad. And that he has a relationship with Truely.”
