TLC continues to show that families come in all different shapes and sizes with the return of MY FIVE WIVES, a new nine-part series following Brady Williams, his five wives and their combined 24 children, who all live together on their large family property outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. Premiering Sunday, March 9 at 10 PM, each one-hour episode offers a candid look at a controversial lifestyle and goes behind closed doors to share an intimate portrait of this big, loving, progressive family. From dealing with everyday issues like maintaining a strong marriage and raising children to more complicated issues such as jealousy, loneliness and their schedules with Brady, nothing is off-limits.
An independent plural family, the Williams gradually withdrew from the fundamentalist Mormon Church after reevaluating their core beliefs. Believing in equality for everyone and a God who loves and accepts all, they emphasize that their choice to be together is “about love, commitment and happiness as a family” rather than religious doctrine. Though their beliefs and their decision to leave the church have led them to be shunned by their community and estranged from many family members, the Williams’ believe their sacrifices are worth it.
Season one picks up where the pilot left off, catching up with the family as they experience the ups and downs of living a plural lifestyle. With a larger than average family, Brady and his wives are constantly on the run to keep up – new education opportunities, careers, and growing kids exploring their own lives and views of marriage prove that this family is anything but static. And on top of it all, adoption is up for discussion with one wife, and a possible pregnancy for another.
Meet Brady’s Bunch:
BRADY (43): Brady was born into the Mormon Church, but until age 16, he had never heard of polygamy. At that time, his parents converted to a faith that embraced the plural lifestyle. Until the age of 34, he grew as a church leader before he and his family decided to break away. Currently, Brady works as a project manager at his brother’s construction business while also pursuing a degree in philosophy at the local college.
PAULIE (1st wife): 41-years old, married for 21 years and has six children – Karlie, 21; Joshua, 19; Madeline, 17; September, 15; Maura, 13; and Camry, 10.
Paulie was raised in a polygamist family and expected Brady to have additional wives, but she is also proud of her oldest daughter, who is recently married and plans a monogamous lifestyle. Paulie works as a dental hygienist.
ROBYN (2nd wife): 40-years old, married for 21 years and has five children – Hannah, 20; Lauren, 17; Dane, 15; Thomas, 13 and Trey, 10.
Married about nine months after Paulie, Robyn also grew up in a polygamous home and expected to be a plural wife. Dubbed by the family as the “creative” wife, Robyn has taken a few art classes and loves making handmade gifts for her large family.
ROSEMARY (3rd Wife): 40-years old, married for 19 years and has four children – Kimberly, 18; Taylor, 15; James, 14 and Brandon, 11.
Rosemary used to work for the family construction business but stopped after winning a scholarship at the local college. She is studying for her teaching degree in music and biology and is particularly passionate about composing.
NONIE (4th Wife): 35-years old, married for 16 years and has five children – Paul, 15; Rachel, 13; Marissa, 10; Aeyden, 8 and Tailee, 4.
Nonie was living in Montana when she first met Brady, and the two had a brief long-distance courtship before they got engaged. She currently handles the administrative side of the family’s construction business and is the only wife that works with Brady on a steady basis.
RHONDA (5th Wife): 34-years old, married for 14 years and has four children – Eden, 13; Lake, 11; Arwen, 8 and Nikolas, 2.
Rhonda, who is Robyn’s cousin, loves to work outside the home and is now a medical assistant. Despite their immediate bond, she confesses it still took eight years before she really felt like she belonged in the family. While Rhonda says there are downsides to polygamy, she loves that her kids always have other mothers around that love them.
MY FIVE WIVES is produced for TLC by Relativity Television.