Just because the Brown family has their own reality series and is relatively famous for it, that doesn't mean they don't deal with regular struggles. Just like anyone else, the Browns are susceptible to mean tricks by people with less-than-honorable intentions. For Meri Brown, that's exactly what happened when she ended up being catfished by a woman pretending to be a man seeking a romantic relationship with her in 2015.

In an interview with People, Meri explained that it soon became clear that the person she was talking to online wasn't who they said they were. "I became fearful of the online relationship as I became aware of the deception," she said. "I didn't know how to get out of the situation without putting myself, family, and friends at greater risk. It was a very difficult time. I had a lot of anxiety." 

In a 2021 episode of Sister Wives, years after the incident, Kody actually explained that after the catfishing, "Meri and I sort of saw our marriage just dissolve," as noted by People. Though they've moved on from the incident, it still appears to affect them, as it was pretty traumatic for the whole family.