Fans Slam ‘Sister Wives’ Cast Member for ‘Being Direct’ About Depression in New Tweet

Sister Wives fans were overjoyed when cast members Maddie and Caleb Brush welcomed their baby boy Axel into the world. But a group therapy session among Kody Brown and his polygamous wives proved the birth was tainted by drama from one specific cast member — Meri Brown — who was accidentally left out of the birth of baby Axel.

Due to a possible miscommunication as to who was welcome in the birthing room, Meri was nowhere to be found during Axel’s home birth surrounded by all of Kody Brown’s other wives.

For Janelle Brown, Maddie’s biological mom, Meri’s absence felt like a slight, while for the embattled TLC personality, the issue made her feel unwelcome in their unconventional family.

“I’m trying to be rational, I’m really trying to let logic and calm thinking reign right now,” Janelle told the cameras before the wives entered a group therapy session in Sunday’s episode. “But maybe because it’s involving Madison, but my mama bear…is uncaged.”

She continued: “This is my daughter, she’s giving birth. This is not about us, this is about her and the birth and protecting that experience for her. I’m kind of like, this is so idiotic that we’re dealing with this over a birth.”

When the two confronted each other, not much was resolved, except that everyone involved was saying they had moved on despite clearly still being upset about the incident.

“I just feel like I’m kind of over this,” Meri said. “It was a miscommunication at the beginning, but now I feel like…you’re not there.”

“The bottom line is we did not purposely keep Meri away from the birth,” Janelle added. “In fact, the whole time I was thinking where is Meri.”

But Christine dropped a harsh truth on her sister wife after the initial therapy session: While the slight was not intentional, if she were in charge of the birth, she would not want Meri in the room.

“You bring a lot with you when you come in a room and you bring a lot of baggage when you come in the room,” she told a shocked Meri. “And I don’t know what to do with that.”

Fans on social media slammed Christine for her brutal honesty after she took to Twitter to share why she said what she did.

“I’m being very direct here and it was so hard sharing how I felt about everything. In my heart I was just trying to help. Relationships are such a work in progress,” Christine tweeted Sunday night.

One person called it an “awful way to handle someone’s depression.”

“This was an awful way to handle someone’s depression. Clearly [Meri’s] going through something really difficult. Mental illness does not need to be attacked it’s so so wrong. Sensitivity is key,” the person said.

“I call it really mean and hurtful, not direct,” another person wrote.

“You were lecturing her! She needs empathy. You could easily be in her shoes one day,” someone else said.

“You made my heart really sad the way you talked to Meri, what you said to her was so hurtful. Maybe it was subconsciously but it sounds like you played a big role in leaving her out of the birth,” someone tweeted.

“Meri needs a friend, someone on her side. It was heart wrenching to watch this episode and see her pain,” a sympathizer said.

Others defended Christine’s actions, writing that Meri can’t blame others forever.

“You were not being mean. You were being direct. You came from a sincere place. Meri has too much baggage bc she cheated and has yet to address it,” someone wrote.

“Based on what the audience sees – there’s probably more to it – but, it seems Meri is exhausting, negative, self-centered, & it appears she has NO interest in getting along with the other 3 wives. You are so sweet, if I were you, I’d give up – Janelle should too!” one person said.

Despite the unresolved drama Meri made it clear she has no negative emotions toward Maddie or her new baby.

“I’m not critical of Madison at all,” she said. “Madison did nothing wrong. Madison brought a new life into the world and I have absolutely no issues with Madison or any of that. All I feel toward her is love, and all she’s ever done is welcome me and accept me as grandma to this baby.”

Sister Wives airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on TLC.