Kody Brown and Jim Bob Duggar Reportedly Exploited Their Families for TLC Fame: Why Was It Allowed?

TLC has a history of depicting families who are presented publicly in one way but behave suspiciously in another. The channel portrayed Kody Brown and Jim Bob Duggar as the slightly goofy heads of their large families. Both the Brown and Duggar families quickly rose to fame 19 Children and counting AND Sister Wives. When the men’s seemingly nefarious sides began to come to light, why did TLC continue to give them a platform and the huge paydays that came with it?

Why did TLC give Kody Brown and Jim Bob Duggar public platforms?

Both 19 Children and counting AND Sister Wives they were juggernauts for TLC. The Brown and Duggar families became extremely popular as viewers’ interest in these huge clans reached an all-time high.

However, both Jim Bob Duggar and Kody Brown reportedly ruled their families with iron fists. They allegedly used tactics such as binding family contracts to pursue lucrative reality television careers.

The Duggar family’s conservative views and religious beliefs were a major draw for viewers. Jim Bob’s family was IBLP members (Institute of Basic Principles of Life), and Kody Brown’s family affiliated with AUB (Apostolic United Brethren). But faith began to give way to some of the men’s more questionable methods of keeping their families together, and TLC’s money kept flowing.

So why did TLC continue to platform Kody and Jim Bob? Because their shows were extremely profitable for the network.

Jim Bob 19 Children and counting was a ratings winner until the series was canceled in 2015 after reports surfaced that Josh had allegedly touched his sisters inappropriately when he was 14. Sister Wives continues to dominate its time slot on TLC as the series continues its 19th season.

19 Children and counting was one of TLC’s most watched programs. It attracted 3.2 million viewers per episode. Sister Wives Each installment typically attracted 2 million viewers. That’s a lot of money for TLC and the Duggar and Brown families, who profited from viewer interest.

How are Jim Bob Duggar and Kody Brown similar?

Jim Bob Duggar and Kody Brown similarly seemed thrilled by the lure of cashing in on a major network. Both men realized that being a reality star was better than saving money to support their bloated clans.

Jill Duggar wrote in her book Counting costs that before their reality TV fame, the Duggar family lived in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house and subsisted on canned beans, ramen noodles, and frozen burritos.

Her sister Jinger agreed with her sister’s claims about food insecurity. Jinger alleged “Jinger and Jeremy’s Podcast” that her siblings ate food in the bathroom for fear that other siblings would eat it.

One of the Brown family’s children also spoke out about food insecurity. In video on the couple’s PatreonMykelti Brown discussed this element of her childhood.

“So in Wyoming, my family, my dad’s dad, owned a ranch, and there was a bakery on their ranch. One thing we ate a lot was leftovers from the bakery. These were “today’s” things that they couldn’t sell. It’s a lot of what we grew up on, plus MREs or ready-to-eat meals.”

According to reports, both men financially abused their children by not paying them to appear on the show. The money generated by their schemes, amounting to millions of dollars, was held in family LLCs. Kody and Jim Bob controlled the finances but reportedly did not share the assets.

Jill Duggar successfully sued her father for money she was owed for performing 19 Children and counting AND Jill and Jessa: I’m counting on it. Therefore, none of the Brown children They sued Kody for outstanding payments for performances Sister Wives.

TLC canceled Jim Bob Duggar, is Kody Brown far behind?

After allegations that Josh Duggar molested his sisters, TLC canceled 19 Children and counting. However, to keep the Duggar train rolling, the name of the series was changed to Jill and Jessa: I’m counting on it and Josh Duggar did not appear on the series.

In 2021, Josh was arrested on child pornography charges. He was sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison, and the family spinoff show was subsequently canceled.

So far, Sister Wives remains a profitable series for TLC. There have never been any accusations like those made against the Duggar family in the Brown clan.

But Kody Brown did it he behaved questionablyy in the series dedicated to Meri’s wives, Janelle and Christine Brown. His behavior can be taken into account he emotionally abused these women and their children.

In a reaction video on her Patreon, Kody’s daughter, Gwendlyn Brown, stated that Kody was so “physically abused” her when she was a child hitting her. She said, “And I know some of you may disagree that spanking is abuse, and it is.”

She concluded: “This is an excessive way to discipline children, and there are better ways that do not leave them with emotional scars. I personally remember getting bruised a few times when my dad spanked me.”

Sister Wives airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.

How to get help: In the US, call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained sexual assault service provider in your area.