Most Sister Wives fans know that Kody Brown wasn’t raised in polygamy.

Instead, his father Winn took more wives after Kody already reached adulthood.

One of Winn’s wives was none other than Janelle’s mother, Sheryl.

Although Kody and Janelle weren’t raised as step-siblings, many Sister Wives viewers found the dynamic incredibly off-putting.

Winn made a few appearances on the show, but many viewers still don’t know much about him. He passed away in 2013, just a few days shy of his 79th birthday.

Onscreen, the family speaks positively of Grandpa Winn and his beloved ranch. But like many other members of the Brown family, there may be something more sinister just below the surface.

Did Sister Wives Star Kody Brown Suffer As A Child?

Although Kody Brown admittedly loved his father, he also confessed that Winn Brown could be a harsh man from time to time. Recently, Redditors debated how Winn’s parenting style shaped Kody into the man he is today.

“Fresh King Benjamin and his fresh perspective Grandpa [Winn],” one Redditor titled their post on the platform. “I consider myself an expert on Sister Wives.

The family intrigued me from the start and I must have rewatched every episode at least 4 times. … I really love listening to Ben, there is always something enlightening. It is a far cry from Mykelti/Gwen recaps.

Today watching he briefly talked about Grandpa [Winn], he said he was a very scary man and no children should ever be around him.”

The OP went on to say the video made them think about Kody and his upbringing. They would love to see TLC explore Kody’s childhood more and dive into Grandpa Winn’s influence on him.

Other Fans Chime In On Winn Brown’s Parenting Style

Other Redditors agreed it was a thoroughly intriguing topic. They left comments including:

• “Makes me wonder about Janelle’s boys spending summers up at the ranch…and if she knew why she would send them and how they were treated. Also, why would her mom marry into that?!”
• “There was a scene where Kody talks about how hard his dad was on him, and used to work him (and his brothers) so hard on the farm.”
• “His perspective on [Winn] and how abusive he was makes me consider that Kody ‘may’ have a TBI from physical punishment. It would explain some of his behavior. Also, his patriarchial upbringing explains some of his other behaviors.”
• “Janelle gave an entirely different perception of Winn in the SW’s book. I’m surprised she did leave her boys with him knowing how abusive he was.”

What do you think Winn Brown was like when he was living? Do you think he was too harsh with Kody as a child? Share your ideas in the comments.