Life
Man married five women and had 24 kids, allows cameras into his home for a rare inside look
While strange to many people, polygamy is a way of life in many Mormon communities.
Cheryl Knight
10.16.19

The topic of polygamy — which is the practice of having more than one wife or husband at the same time — has attracted a spotlight in the media in recent years. The reality TV show “Sister Wives,” for instance, has aired for 12 seasons and focuses on Kody Brown, his four wives, their 18 children, and the drama that ensues from such an arrangement.

The Lifetime Movie’s fictional adaptation of David Ebershoff’s novel “The 19th Wife” centers on a woman accused of murdering her polygamist husband. And the TV drama series “Big Love” on HBO lasted five seasons.

‘My Five Wives’

Hollywood Reporter
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Hollywood Reporter

The Williams family is another polygamist unit that also received media attention. The family was featured in two seasons of “My Five Wives,” a reality show on TLC.

In 2014, the Williams family allowed documentary cameras to track their daily lives, which may sound boring at first. But Brady Williams, a former Mormon Church bishop, has five wives and 24 kids that live in two houses side by side — definitely not your normal nuclear family.

Hollywood Reporter
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Hollywood Reporter

The family, which lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, includes Brady and his five wives, Rosemary, Robyn, Nonie, Paulie, and Rhonda. Brady, a former fundamentalist Mormon, actually considers himself a feminist.

“I really consider myself a feminist. Certainly, polygamy has been patriarchal, right. The man is in charge. But I like to think that we’ve evolved and are still evolving,” Brady told ABC News.

Progressive polygamists

YouTube/ABC News
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YouTube/ABC News

Brady Williams, who was married to five women by the time he was 29 years old, considers himself to be a progressive polygamist. And this view has gotten a lot of criticism from other polygamists.

“This family is so out there, they’re even shunned by regular polygamists,” said ABC News anchor Cecilia Vega.

YouTube/ABC News
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YouTube/ABC News

Former fundamentalist Mormons, the Williams are now pro-gay marriage, they sometimes drink alcohol, and they teach their children that they can freely decide not to become a polygamist themselves.

Revealing the polygamist lifestyle

YouTube/ABC News
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YouTube/ABC News

While talking to ABC News, Brady begins to list the names of his 24 children in order of birth, which he can’t pull off. But that doesn’t seem to bother Brady and his five wives.

“It’s not that complicated. We love each other,” Brady told ABC News. “It’s just normal times five.”

Brady’s five wives are all cousins who were taught to be obedient sister wives by their community in rural Utah. But now, the family does not claim any religion.

YouTube/ABC News
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YouTube/ABC News

So how do the sleeping arrangements work in the Williams family? Do they all sleep in one big bed? Nope! Brady sleeps with each wife every fifth night. And at noon each day, he moves on to his next wife.

So, doesn’t jealousy seep into this family? No, according to the sister wives. They don’t think about it and wouldn’t want to, they told ABC News.

Show reviews

YouTube/ABC News
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YouTube/ABC News

Of course, feedback on the show was mixed and included some who loved the show and others who didn’t. Here are a few reviews of “My Five Wives” …

  • “I feel like it’s a great show. It portrays the good and bad sides of polygamy and doesn’t sugarcoat the lifestyle. I enjoyed getting to see the dynamics of this family and for them, it works.”
  • “I don’t think I can stomach any more episodes; it’s just too sad to see these women hurting so — in my opinion — unnecessarily.”
  • “I cannot believe that any woman would choose to live like this. … These women are all terribly unhappy, it’s so obvious.”
  • “I really do love this show. … this man Brady Williams is a good guy, an attentive husband to all his wives, a father that’s involved with all his children’s lives. All the while running a lucrative business. In other words, give this show a chance and you’ll love it too. It only had two seasons, but it’s still worth watching.”

Watch the ABC News interview below to get the full scoop about Brady and his five wives.

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Source: YouTube/ABC News

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