Meri Brown, a 53-year-old businesswoman, is now sharing new details about her significant decision to end her three-decade-long marriage to Kody Brown. This move has sparked much discussion and curiosity among fans and viewers.

Insights from the Sister Wives Episode

In the Sunday, Dec. 15, episode of Sister Wives, Meri openly discussed the couple's spiritual separation. She revealed that within a week of her decision, Kody questioned why she had acted so quickly, suggesting that there was a "guy on the side waiting." Meri found these comments insulting as she had no interest in maintaining the marriage, seeing it as the only option left.After receiving the official termination of their marriage through their church, Meri texted Kody, and he called her back within 20 minutes. She read out the text message she sent, which expressed her broken heart over the situation but also conveyed her love and respect for him. The message read, "Hi Kody, just wanted to follow up from the text I sent a couple weeks ago. Just wanted to let you know that I had a conversation with the leadership in Utah today and the official release was granted. I’m brokenhearted that our life came to this. I will always love and respect you. Thank you for many years of joy. I hope you truly will have peace now and I release you from any responsibility or worry about me. I got this."

The Legal and Spiritual Aspect

In a recent season 19 episode, Meri explained that she chose to terminate her marriage through the family's church. She was granted a "release," which is equivalent to a divorce in their religious context. This was a very hard decision for her as it was not what she had originally intended when she married Kody. In 2014, they had a legal divorce to allow Kody to marry Robyn Brown legally and adopt her three older kids. However, their spiritual marriage and ceiling remained intact until now.

The Post-Separation Dynamics

In a recent conversation with PEOPLE, Meri stated that although the couple is no longer married, they are friendly and kind when in the same space. She explained that it's not a situation where they are constantly in touch or have a casual friendship. When they do interact, it's fine and she feels comfortable with him. There is no awkwardness, but they are not friends in the traditional sense.Sister Wives airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on TLC, and fans continue to follow the story and the evolving relationships of the Brown family.