Shawn Johnson’s Husband Says He Loved Discussing Polygamy With Kody Brown

Shawn Johnson East’s husband, Andrew East, detailed how he enjoyed chatting about polygamy with Kody Brown on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.

During an appearance on the Tuesday, October 28, episode of “The Viall Files” podcast, Andrew, 34, was asked by Viall’s wife, Natalie Joy, if he got “close” to his Special Forces season 4 costar Kody, 56, while filming the show.

“We had some very fascinating theological discussions. It was so interesting because you meet this guy and … he has multiple wives, right … how do you get to that point in life?” Andrew responded. “We would talk for hours about, like, his understanding of the bible and then his upbringing. It’s really fascinating to start to get a picture of, like, how you end up with multiple wives.”

The Sister Wives star, 56, once had four wives but is no longer a polygamist after his splits from Christine Brown in 2021, Janelle Brown in 2022 and Meri Brown in 2023. (He remains married to Robyn Brown after the pair tied the knot in 2014.)

Shawn, 33, sat alongside Andrew during the podcast recording, jumping in with her take on why Andrew enjoyed his conversations with Kody so much.

“Let’s give you some background on Andrew,” she said. “He studies religion, he has a doctorate in psychology. He literally wants to know everybody’s in-and-out thoughts.”

Andrew then reflected further on his in-depth interactions, revealing that he developed respect for Kody. “You end up building a certain amount of empathy for people, and understanding. We’d hit these forks in the road … [it’s] just a difference in how you see things. But fascinating conversations all round,” Andrew said.

Kody serves as one of the more controversial figures on season 4 of Special Forces, most recently seen ignoring costars Gia Giudice and Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia in a challenge aired during the Thursday, October 23, episode. Although the trio were supposed to work together, Gia, 24, asked Kody to “slow down” but he kept pushing on despite growing team frustration.

Speaking to the cameras during the episode, he said, “I have been known for my intense personality. I am the loud, obnoxious type and not the strong, silent type.”

Two days after the episode aired, Shawn discussed Kody via an Instagram Story fan Q&A that reflected on her experience while filming the show. “Let me just say this in general as a whole — so this has nothing to do with Kody, but there were so many different personalities and styles. A lot of us probably wouldn’t have gotten along outside of the show, but I will say there was not a single person casted on that show that I would not have trusted with my life in the middle of a challenge.”

During her podcast appearance with Andrew, Shawn offered further insight into how the couple approached appearing on Special Forces together, with Andrew adding that he was inspired by his wife’s motivation to take part. “She never backs down from a situation. We honestly find ourselves in some ridiculous places because she’s always down,” he said.

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs on Fox Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.