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Show 1 6 ARTS M)u1 ENTERTAINMENT , i An interview with Mariah Brown: A Sister Wives story i i is HANNAH BAYBUTT STAFF REPORTER have four moms and have always loved the relationship that they have. It's interesting because it's not sisters and not friends, but something deeper." "I I -- MARIAH BROWN sophomore psychology major Mariah Brown (back row, third in on the left) is the only child of Meri Brown (sitting, second in on left) and eldest child among her 16 siblings. They are my siblings and we are super close, said Brown in an interview. Sister Wives premiered on Sept. 26, 2010 and documents the rarely seen world of a polygamist family. Mariah ! Brown, sophomore psychology major, has experienced it from k the other side of the camera. t Mariah Brown is the only child of Kody and Meri Brown, Kodys first wife. Brown is also the eldest child among her 16 i siblings. grew up in Wyoming, later moving to Salt Lake City, and now her family lives in Las She Vegas. Brown gave a look into her life growing up in a polygamist family: Why did you choose to attend Westminster? MB: I always get that question. I dont know. It was the only school that I toured, and I really liked it. I came here and was like: this is it. This is where I am going. I i - i 3 How many siblings do you have? MB: Sixteen. Honestly, one of my biggest pet peeves is when people differentiate between half or step siblings. No. They are my siblings. We are super close. a What was it like growing up on TV? Give an insight into your childhood. MB: We started ) filming when I was 14. At first, I hated it. It was weird. There were people in my house with these big, giant cameras that I didnt know. I remember the first day we shot and it was so bizarre. I woke up and thought, Who are you people and what are you doing here? It is interesting now, because our entire crew has become our family. I already had a big family, but now I have a bigger family. Its not weird anymore because I know them, and we are all so close. What was it like having multiple parental figures? of the population believe that polygamy was evil. Tim, our producer, went to the head of the coalition my parents were a part of and asked if he could create a documentary ' on one of the families. The head of the coalition gave Tim my members. Are there things that you cannot talk about until the show has aired? MB: There are some things that, if it has already aired, we can talk about. If it hasnt, I have to wait until it has been seen. But, if its with my close friends, I am going to talk about it. I mean they are my friends, its not a big deal. I have my Instagram on private because sometimes I post things that cant be seen. It is OK for close friends and family to see, but its not for everyone else. My Twitter is open. Viewers can see what I tweet but my pictures are for my friends and family. How did the show start? How was the idea created? MB: Well, a couple of my parents were a part of a coalition in Utah to help make polygamy more normal. A lot of people were hearing about Warren Jeffs. He is the complete opposite of what my family is about At the time, he was getting a lot of news Tim originally wanted to do one episode, but my dad realized it was a bigger deal. Within a one-hosegment, people dont actually get to know you or see that we are normal. In one hour, what are they really going to see? My dad said that if we are going to do this, we are going to do a TV show. They presented it to TLC and it was approved. The rest is history. ur Have you ever filmed while at school? MB: Yes, they filmed me moving in. Can you talk to me about your beliefs about polygamy? I dont mind them filming me. At first, I hated it, but now it has just become a part of my life. I dont want to say I miss it, but I kind of do. Its nice to be away, but when I go back home, its like, Oh, its nice to see you just because it has been so long. I think that I get the best of both worlds because I dont have to do it every day. MB: I have four moms and I have always loved the relationship that they have. Its interesting because its sisters and not friends, but not something deeper. I have so many sisters and I am so close to them, but I feel that my moms relationships are different. I see the way they interact and its beautiful. Growing up in it and seeing how much polygamy has blessed my family, I personally really want to be a polygamist when I am older. Obviously, when Im older because Im 19 right now. Its funny because, all growing up, my dad told us that were going to college and then getting married. I think because that was so ingrained in us, none of my siblings are really dating. Are any of your other siblings graduating high school this year? MB: Its funny actually because there is a graduation almost every year. I think there are two years where there wont be any, and in those years, there will be college graduations. My little brother is graduating this June. He is going to the Air Force Academy. He 4f 9 A to. i. ISA. vri v"v MB: was always a pretty good child, followed the rules and such. So for punishment, it was never an issue. My moms joke that if you want something, you just need to ask the right mom. You know what mom to ask for certain things. One of my moms, Robyn, is more nurturing than Christine, who is funnier. So if youre sick or something, youll go to Robyn. Having multiple parental figures, you have more people to go to when you need different things. I dads number. How many people are on the film crew? MB: We have our producer and our two main cameramen who live in Salt Lake) But Id say there are nine main i A state wrestles and is a two-tim- e champion. My dad did the same coverage, which made much 0 9 thing. One of my other little brothers is 13 and is already starting to talk about coming to Westminster. Can you talk to me about your mom Meri's divorce from your dad? MB: My dads fourth wife, Robyn, had three kids from a previous marriage. Their birth father is not really in their lives. They refer to my dad as their dad and they are my siblings. Since my mom is the first wife, she is legally married to my dad. She decided that she wanted Robyns kids to legally be a part of our family, so she divorced my dad. Because they are divorced, he can legally marry Robyn, so he can adopt her children. How has Westminster treated you? Do many people know about your role on Sister Wives? MB:I feel that I have had a few parents ask me about it. But not many peers have said anything. Im not going to lie, thats been nice. I dont mind talking about it. Its just different when I am with my parents. People will ask to take pictures. It is nice because when I am at school. Im focusing oh school. Even if people do recognize me, they dont come up to me. After graduation, Brown said she plans to attend school to be a physician's assistant. Sister Wives is now finishing up season five on TLC. |