Over the last several months, much has been made about Christine Brown’s immediate family.
And for good reason, too.
This family has been featured on Sister Wives for 16 season and, due to Christine turning into a badass bitch toward the end last year, it got split up to some extent in November when the mother of six decided to walk away from spiritual spouse Kody.
But we’re not here to talk about the Browns that you see on television.
We’re here to do a deep dive into Christine’s much larger family tree.
And you better buckle up, folks!
Although she’s hesitant to talk much about it (for reasons that will soon become obvious), Christine was born into a famous polygamous family, the Allreds.
The most well-known member of this enormous brood was a man named Ervil LeBaron, who had 23 wives and 51 children… and who was Christine’s uncle.
LeBaron was the leader of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group who ordered the killings of many of his opponents, using the religious doctrine of blood atonement to justify these homicides.
In 1972, Ervil started the Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God in San Diego, California.
This same year, he ordered the murder of his own brother.
In April 1975, LeBaron ordered the killing of Bob Simons, a polygamist who sought to minister to Native Americans and, two years later, he ordered the killing of Rulon C. Allred, the leader another Mormon fundamentalist sect.
Many of these killings were carried out by LeBaron’s wives, some of whom were minors, and/or LeBaron’s children.
At one point, LeBaron — who was given the nickname “Mormon Manson” — also tried to have another sibling, Rulan, executed.
Rulan survived the plot, however, and went on to continue siring own line of ancestors … one of whom is Christine Brown.
Indeed, Rulan is Christine’s paternal grandfather.
In 1980, a year after he was apprehended in Mexico and extradited to the United States, LeBaron was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Utah State Prison in Draper, Utah, where he died on August 16, 1981.
It’s complicated and messy and doesn’t reflect in any way on Christine herself.
But it sure is fascinating, isn’t it?
And, in some small way, it says at least something about the cult-like nature of polygamy.
Just after Christine left Kody in November, meanwhile, Christine’s cousin, Anna LeBaron, spoke to The Sun.
As someone who escaped a polygamous family at 13 years old, Anna could speak from experience on the topic of plural marriage and the pull it has on certaiin types of people.
“It’s very common for a woman to leave one polygamous relationship and enter a new one because it’s familiar territory,” Anna explained at the time, referring to Christine and continuing as follows:
“If she’s wanting to continue believing that, then that’s her choice. I wish her the best and I hope she’ll have a good outcome and find happiness in whatever she pursues.”
It’s worth noting that Anna has never met Christine.
This didn’t stop the former from remarking on the latter, however:
“I hope she’s getting the care and support she needs. This decision after 25 years of marriage is difficult. There is going to be grief and sadness. My hope is she will find healing and live a life that will bring her joy, peace and happiness.
“It’s courageous and brave. I am proud of her for taking the steps to be the person she wants to be in this life.”
Brown seems very, very happy so far with her decision to move back to Utah and start over.
As for whether she’s done with polygamy or not?
The reality star’s son recently answer that question.