In the complex world of Sister Wives, where personal choices and plural relationships unfold on national television, few storylines are as eerily parallel as that of Robyn Brown and her mother, Alice Sullivan. Longtime fans of the show may be surprised—or maybe not—to discover that Robyn’s life seems like a near carbon copy of her mother’s. The similarities between the two go far beyond coincidence, painting a picture that feels almost preordained.

Let’s dive into the uncanny parallels between Robyn Brown’s life journey and that of her mother, Alice. Could it be that Robyn, whether consciously or subconsciously, modeled her choices in relationships, marriage, and motherhood after Alice? Or is this just a wild twist of fate?

A Mirror Image in Marriage History

Robyn’s romantic journey before joining the Brown family is well-known to Sister Wives fans. Before meeting Kody, she was in a monogamous marriage with David Jessop, which began in 1999. That marriage brought her three children, but ultimately ended in divorce in 2007. Only a few months later, Robyn met Kody Brown and began her journey into plural marriage.

What many don’t know is that Robyn’s mother, Alice, also followed an incredibly similar path. Alice was initially married in a monogamous union, had children, then divorced and entered into a plural marriage. She later became the second wife of Paul Howard Sullivan. The similarities are more than just surface-level — they chart an almost identical life path.

In fact, Robyn has even openly admired the dynamic between her mother and stepfather. In the family’s memoir Becoming Sister Wives, Robyn describes their marriage as having a long-lasting “honeymoon phase,” something she aspired to recreate with Kody. And indeed, Robyn and Kody were the only couple among the Brown wives to enjoy an extravagant and extended honeymoon — 11 days of surfing and zip-lining in sunny San Diego.

A Stepfather Becomes “Dad”

One of the most telling parallels lies in how both women handled the father figures in their children’s lives. After marrying Paul Sullivan, Alice made the significant decision to have her children take on his last name — Sullivan — completely replacing the identity and presence of their biological father.

Robyn did the same. After her split from David Jessop, and her subsequent marriage to Kody, she not only changed her children’s last names from Jessop to Brown, but also went a step further: she replaced photos of David in the family home with pictures of Kody. Eventually, Kody legally adopted all three children. Robyn once described Kody’s transition into the role of “dad” as natural and immediate — just as Alice had described Paul Sullivan stepping into a fatherly role for her kids.

These actions have drawn attention, and in some circles, criticism. Viewers and commentators alike have questioned if the erasure of the biological father figure was done to protect the children—or as a reflection of deeper emotional or ideological choices modeled after Alice’s own decisions. Either way, the resemblance between the two women’s choices is undeniable.

Modeling Relationships After the Past

It’s worth questioning how much of Robyn’s path was influenced by her own upbringing. Was her relationship with Kody shaped by watching her mother’s bond with Paul Sullivan? In their memoir, Robyn expressed deep admiration for that relationship and made it clear she was striving for something similar. She didn’t just want a successful plural marriage — she wanted one with a strong romantic core, an enduring honeymoon-like connection.

Her marriage to Kody reflects that intention. Among all his wives, Robyn stands out as the one who shared a deeply romantic connection with Kody from the start. It was evident in their wedding, their honeymoon, and how Kody’s affection seemed to shift strongly in her direction after she entered the family. This bond has often been cited as a major turning point that fractured his relationships with Meri, Janelle, and Christine.

Was this intense bond a result of Robyn’s own effort to recreate the type of love she saw in her mother’s second marriage? If so, it would explain not only her actions but also her firm stance on the importance of emotional and romantic connection in plural marriage — something the other wives felt was being unevenly distributed.

Cutting Ties with the Past

One of the more controversial aspects of both women’s lives is how they seemingly moved on from their previous marriages and spouses, choosing to start fresh without much lingering attachment. For Alice, that meant leaving her first marriage and fully integrating her life into her second, even reshaping her children’s identity by giving them a new last name.

Robyn followed the same path — distancing her children from their biological father and establishing a new family identity with the Browns. In fact, some fans have even said it felt like she wanted to “rewrite” the past, erasing previous relationships to solidify her place in the Brown family dynamic.

This, understandably, sparks debates among viewers. While some believe it’s a way of offering stability and unity to children in blended families, others question if it denies the children their full history. Again, the eerie parallel to Alice’s decisions can’t be ignored.

Is It Coincidence — or Blueprint?

With so many life events aligning so precisely, it’s impossible not to wonder: was Robyn merely following her heart, or was she unknowingly following in her mother’s footsteps? After all, children often internalize family dynamics, even when they aren’t aware of it. Watching her mother transition from monogamy to polygamy, from one family structure to another, might have given Robyn a subconscious model to follow.

And given how much admiration she expressed for her mother and stepfather’s relationship, it seems plausible that she wasn’t just emulating Alice — she was actively striving to replicate what she saw as a successful marriage blueprint.

Yet this replication isn’t without complications. Robyn’s involvement in the family dynamic has coincided with the disintegration of Kody’s other marriages. Whether or not she is to blame, her journey mirrors her mother’s so closely that it raises questions about destiny, influence, and the weight of generational patterns.

A Polarizing Figure

As much as fans and critics are fascinated by Robyn’s story, she remains one of the most polarizing figures in Sister Wives. Some admire her for her poise and emotional awareness, while others view her as manipulative or controlling. But no matter how people feel about her, one thing is clear: her life story is intricately woven into the fabric of her mother’s.

When looking at Robyn, many fans now wonder — are they really watching just Robyn? Or are they seeing Alice 2.0, a woman repeating history with astonishing precision?

Only time will tell whether this pattern will continue or eventually diverge. But one thing’s for certain — Robyn’s life, and the eerie resemblance it bears to her mother’s, will keep Sister Wives fans talking for seasons to come.