TLC is known for producing shows that attract attention, primarily for controversy. Among many unusual lifestyles and habits, the channel documents the lives of polygamous couples, i.e., couples living in plural marriage, despite polygamy being illegal in all 50 US states. After shows such as “Sister Wives,” which aired in September 2010, and “Seeking Sister Wife,” which premiered in 2018, fans were unsurprised by the “Seeking Brother Husband” announcement in 2022.
However, the dynamic of having one female and two or more male marital partners is undoubtedly rarer than the opposite, making the show even more captivating. We analyzed who the show will feature and whether the relationships resemble previously featured ones or those in the same show.
When will “Seeking Brother Husband” premiere?
“Seeking Brother Husband” started building hype on 9 January 2023, when the production team released its first trailer on YouTube. Discussions in the comments section showed the audience’s curiosity, about jealousy, paternity if the couple has children, and if the outsiders consider the woman promiscuous with two or more husbands.
TLC later announced the show’s release date, Sunday 26 March 2023, at 10 p.m. ETC, on their channel, and on the same day, via the discovery+ streaming platform.
That announcement made long-time TLC viewers remember the one-hour special aired in 2017, “Brother Husbands,” with a similar premise but only one couple. In it, Amanda had two husbands, Jeremy and Chad, and five children with both. Many viewers thought Chad might be gay or bisexual, and speculated on whether he wanted to be with Jeremy more than Amanda, but was forced to go through her. Although people requested to see more, TLC chose not to develop a full-length series. In hindsight, they were noting interest, and making plans for the 2023 series.
What is polyandry?
Polyandry in humans is a relationship dynamic where one woman has two or more husbands and thus sexual access to both, but they may or may not have girlfriends or wives. Couples in the show’s trailer explain that there’s far more to it than having sex with more than one husband, and that their relationships include emotional, mental and financial benefits. They also explain that it carries a societal stigma, and requires a lot of work, compromise, and lifestyle adjustments.
Polyandry is common among humans in some parts of China and Tibetans in Nepal, but is generally atypical. It’s not as prominent as polygamy in nature, but appears in some species, such as honey bees, shorebirds, and spotted sandpipers.
How many couples will the show feature?
“Seeking Brother Husband” will feature four couples in the first season. However, based on previously produced series, TLC may increase the number of couples or focus on one to two in the next season, and some may receive specials or a spin-off. Predictably, producers cast couples in different stages of their journey, from two people trying to transition to polyandry to those looking for a fourth husband and more partners.
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The first couple is from Houston, Texas
Kenya, Carl, and Tiger are the first couple, or actually trio the trailer introduced. Right off the bat, the 42-year-old tries to clarify that she’s not living in polyandry but polyamory, but the editing cuts her off. Kenya continued her thoughts on social media, and revealed that her husbands are free to date and even marry whomever they choose. She also disclosed in an interview with News24.com that she has ‘uncountable boyfriends, partners, and connections’ outside her marriage.
Carl and Kenya married 26 years ago, and the two have ‘connected philosophically’ and are, assumably, not consummating their marriage. In contrast, her second husband, Tiger, was the late addition, and married her 10 years ago. She describes him as ‘the husband who fulfills her emotional and physical needs.’ In other interviews, she stated that Tiger has been with all her friends, has partners in many states, and has four partners in Asheville alone. Her boyfriend, Noble, lives with a wife, Chara, in Atlanta, Georgie. The couple has three adult children together, presumably all Carl’s.
The trailer continues with Kenya wearing a wedding dress and two rings and sharing how delighted she is to have two husbands who love her. Behind-the-scenes information shows that Carl has a ‘co-wife’, Corina, who may join later. Viewers who let this slip apparently wanted to eliminate potentially fake drama surrounding her introduction.
However, the trailer also shows an interesting dynamic. Kenya lights up while explaining that she’s excited to have a third husband a decade after she found Tiger. On the other hand, her husbands look less enthusiastic about her brother husband search. However, it’s hard to judge their connection based on a trailer; whether the editing played a part will become evident in the first few episodes.
The second couple hails from Los Angeles, California
The next couple is Elisa and Mike, and unlike the “thruple” above – a term the show coined – they are still a duo; even more surprisingly, they are newlyweds. Elisa wishes to have multiple husbands and desires a lifestyle change, but has yet to meet a suitable partner, which is partially why she auditioned for the show. Mike is somewhat jealous but willing to let her explore polyandry.
She is most bothered by the double standard between polygamy and polyandry. In her experience, men with two or more wives receive praise for their energy, support, organization, and financial support. However, people think women with several partners are sleeping around, and physical intimacy that is not cheating is all they seek. Thus, Elisa clarified that this wasn’t the only thing she sought from other men.
Because they are still exploring the possibility, in the trailer, Elisa asks Mike if he would be fine seeing her kiss or hold hands with someone else – he admits that it wouldn’t be easy. A few seconds later, an unnamed producer or family friend questions if she had ever been in an orgy, but viewers don’t hear her reply.
Kim and Dustin are married for over 11 years
Dustin and Kim from Asheville, North Carolina, were married for over a decade, and at some point, Vinson joined the family unit. It took a while for Dustin to accept that Kim was falling for another man in front of his eyes, but eventually agreed to let the brother husband join the union.
Despite accepting the situation, when asked whether he was OK with her sleeping with other men, Dustin replied, ‘Most of the time.’ Although he has a safe space and a great relationship, Vinson is still determining whether he would accept a third brother husband. Kim also tearfully says she wishes she could be everything Vinson needs, but can’t meet all his demands. That indicates Vinson can leave the relationship dynamic, or propose adding another woman.
Chara and Patrick have been together for over a decade
Patrick and Chara were married for 13 years, and started feeling less connected as partners at some point. Instead of taking a break or divorcing, they decided to nurture their emotional bond. Chara cast a net in Atlanta, Georgia, where she lived, to fulfill her physical needs. She eventually fell in love with Noble.
As mentioned above, Noble has several women behind the scenes, including Kenya, and prefers to live a single man or bachelor lifestyle. That would be fine if it weren’t for Chara’s desire to have a baby, and is deliberating who the biological partner should be.
Moreover, her husband isn’t confident she can handle a new man, and questions her ability to ‘juggle three guys simultaneously.’
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How do couples juggle everyday life?
TLC also dedicated part of the trailer to viewers’ burning questions about the daily life of polygamous couples – as expected, couples handle this complex dynamic differently. Carl admits to having a separate bedroom while Kenya and Tiger sleep together. Kenya adds that organization and stepping outside the comfort zone are crucial to making things work.
As if proving her point, Patrick admits that things get awkward when he hears moaning and thumping sounds from the basement, yet ignores them.
Additionally, although viewers will eventually discover that Noble is dating women outside the show, he admits to feeling ‘swapped out’ when Chara expresses her wish to find a third husband. She doesn’t understand where he comes from; he feels that’s because she isn’t the one getting replaced or feeling inadequate.
One of the cast members is a popular influencer and author
TLC did its best to avoid exposure to couples’ lives before the show to avoid spoilers and plot twists. We indirectly proved them right by mentioning the connection between Kenya and Noble. Luckily, she is the only person who slipped through the cracks, due to her online presence, and long experience as a polyandry love coach.
Kenya K Stevens is an Instagram influencer with over 41,000 followers on her Progressive Love Academy (PLO) account. She also provides general health and wellness advice and instructions for polyamorous couples on her YouTube channel, @KenyaStevens. The Howard University alumna refers to PLO as a school of thought, empowerment, relationships and metaphysics. She provides methods of helping people interested in living inside the natural paradigm, because according to her, humans are not monogamous. Kenya also trademarked the “divorce-free” term because she tells her partners she’s married, and will never get divorced.
Kenya is the cast member who delves into the dynamic’s spiritual and psychological side, analyzes and solves communication issues, and covers obstacles such as informing the family or occasionally being forced to tell white lies. She finds the concept of having a work husband acceptable and is a proponent of subtle sneaking around, if it means following a biological urge repressed by societal standards.
Kenya K. Stevens is the founder of the Progressive Love Academy, author of several books and is in an #openrelationship with two husbands.
She and husbands Carl and Tiger open up about #polyamory, handling jealousy & why non-#monogamy works for them:
▶️ https://t.co/vfhOiwzsVk pic.twitter.com/b1PasbKMeV— Daily Blast LIVE (@dailyblastlive) February 3, 2023
Moreover, Kenya, who also calls herself JujuMama in business, released her first book, “Change Your Man: How to Become the Woman He Wants,” in July 2010, and two others about love and relationships in August 2019 and 2020; she explained her need to dominate and feel in control in all three. Interestingly, her husband Carl published them all.
An even more fascinating fact is that Carl suggested polygamy when they were alone in their marriage. He met a woman at work, although it’s unclear whether that’s Corina, and Kenya liked her and approved of him making a move. However, Carl was enraged when she mentioned that she would also have a partner. He came around after he realized that equality should exist, and accepted polyandry, but it took them two years to open their marriage.
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