Sister Wives' Christine Brown Shares Rare Photo of Late Son Garrison With Estranged Dad Kody in Birthday Tribute
Sister Wives star Christine Brown shared a rare photo of late "bonus" son Garrison with his estranged father, Kody, in a loving birthday tribute one month after he died by suicide.
"Yesterday was Garrison’s birthday. Gosh. It was just too hard to post," Christine captioned a carousel of pictures on her Instagram. "So many good times, so many memories…not enough though."
The first snapshot featured four of Janelle and Kody's kids — Savanah, Hunter, Gabriel and Garrison — all crowded around Christine who appeared to be in a fit of laughter. The second was the late 25-year-old posing with Christine and Kody's youngest daughter, Truely, 13.
However, the third image surprised some of the mother-of-six's followers because it featured a younger Garrison and Gabriel who were all smiles while sitting next to their estranged dad.
The latest seasons of Sister Wives emphasized Garrison and Gabe's strained relationships with Kody, who severely limited his contact with the boys after they failed to agree to his strict COVID-19 pandemic rules. Their estrangement continued after the lockdowns ended, and according to a source, Kody and Garrison "never made up" before his tragic death.
"I know for a fact there was no buddy/buddy hangout or friendship. Honestly, I can't even remember the last time they saw each other," the source explained. "Kody pushed his family away for a very long time. These two boys have been the forefront of the pain."
- Sister Wives' Christine Brown Says Being Around Robyn Is Still 'Awkward' After Attending the Birth of Daughter Mykelti's Twins
- 'Sister Wives' Star Christine Brown Sues Estranged Ex Kody for Custody of Daughter Truely, 14, After Messy Split
- Robyn and Kody Brown 'Drifted Apart' After Christine, Janelle and Meri Left: They 'Argue About Small Things' and 'Butt Heads Often'
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As OK! previously reported, the father-of-18 is "not okay at all" and has "retreated entirely" since his son's passing.
"He gets into dark places when he gets upset, so he's just in a very dark place right now," a separate insider revealed. "At this point, Kody's boys and other kids are not going to be receptive to him now because they just lost a family member."
"It's going to take even more work for Kody to fix the damage he's done," the insider noted. "He's not even thinking about chances of reconciliation. He's still processing Garrison's death and grieving his loss."
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Garrison was confirmed dead on Tuesday, March 5. Authorities ruled his cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. During the initial investigation, Gabriel told police his older brother had been struggling with drinking and depression prior to taking his own life.