'Sister Wives' Teases Christine and Kody Brown Split in Season 17 Promo

Sister Wives Season 17 is coming this fall. In a new teaser announcing the Sept. 11 return of the TLC show, published Friday by PEOPLE, the network hints that Christine Brown's split from husband Kody Brown will be a central point in the new season, as the fourth ring in the "I" in "Wives" falls off. Sister Wives left off at the end of last season with Christine's decision to leave Kody after 25 years together.

"It's over. The intimate part of our marriage is over," Christine said of her decision to leave the plural marriage. "And to be honest, I'm not okay with that. I'm not okay with staying in a marriage where there's no intimacy. That's not a real marriage. I'm not interested in a half marriage or a partial marriage or whatever we have."

In November 2021, Christine announced on social media that she had decided to leave Kody. "After more than 25 years together, Kody and I have grown apart and I have made the difficult decision to leave," she wrote in a statement at the time. "We will continue to be a strong presence in each other's lives as we parent our beautiful children and support our wonderful family. At this time, we ask for your grace and kindness as we navigate through this stage within our family."

Kody wrote in his own statement, "Christine's decision to leave comes with a great deal of sadness. We enjoyed many years together and I have a large amount of respect and admiration for her. Although we are moving forward on different paths, we will always remain committed parents."

Kody is still in a marriage with wives Meri Brown, Janelle Brown and Robyn Brown, but fans have speculated Meri may be the next to leave after the couple's comments about their relationship last season. In an April 2021 episode of Sister Wives, Kody said he and Meri don't have an intimate relationship and are no longer "in love." He admitted in a confessional, "She wants to be loved romantically – then there has to be a spark for that. And then she'll get from that, she will receive romance, love and a full marriage and sexual relationship." Season 17 of Sister Wives premieres Sept. 11 at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.