The Brown family's followers predicted the end of Kody and Christine's marriage years ahead of their split, but Christine would never muster the courage to leave him.
Kody's relationships with his first three sister wives took a turn for the worse when he welcomed his fourth spouse, Robyn, into his plural marriage. Kody's preference for Robyn was apparent from the jump, and while it might be natural for the polygamist to have a favorite, fans were stunned by how Kody went on to neglect his first trio of wives, Meri, Janelle, and Christine. After Robyn's introduction, Kody's relationships with his other wives rapidly waned. Since 2010, Kody has afforded Meri, Janelle, and Christine little affection, and although he managed to maintain the somber status quo for a decade, Christine's decision to leave effectively disrupted the polygamist patriarch's plans.
Throughout his journey in Sister Wives, Kody hasn't demonstrated any fear of losing his first three wives as he's blatantly cared for his relationship with Robyn most. Kody's wives have witnessed his bias in instances like when Kody shared that he regrets marrying Meri and when he was late to the hospital for the birth of Christine's daughter, Truely. As the years ed, Kody's spiritual marriages have continued to decline to the point that the polygamous patriarch is essentially only friends with his first three wives. Even though their marriage is one-sided and isolates her, Meri continues to fight for Kody's love. By doing the opposite and leaving the Brown family, fans think Christine shattered Kody's understanding of his marriages. A Reddit theorized, "Kody had no clue Christine would ever have the nerve to leave him."
Christine's struggled to conform to the norm that is Kody and Robyn having the only functioning relationship for the past few years, but it wasn't until Sister Wives season 16 that fans witnessed the beginning of the end for the pair's 27-year marriage. As Christine's rebellious attitude blossomed, however, fans think Kody's tried harder to trap Christine into staying. In response to Kody withholding his affection from Christine, a commenter suggested, "Do you think it’s a power play thing"
For the past decade, Kody's wives have allowed him to coast by and only put effort into his relationship with Robyn. After years of getting everything he wanted, fans think Kody never considered the possibility of one of his wives leaving him no matter how much he neglected them. Unfortunately for Kody, Christine surprised her family and fans with her newfound independent spirit in Sister Wives season 16.
Sources: NUT-me-SHELL/Reddit, beerkittyrunner/Reddit, BeckyAnneLeeman/Reddit