‘Sister Wives’ Reality Star Comes Out as Lesbian on The Show

Growing up is hard enough, but doing so under the lights and cameras as a TLC reality star couldn’t have been easy. For Sister Wives reality star, Mariah Brown, it was even a little harder than that.

Sister Wives features the Brown family, a Mormon family that’s a part of the Apostolic United Brethren church which believes in polygamy. On Sunday’s episode, 21-year-old Mariah Brown, daughter of Kody and Meri, brought together her five parents — her dad and his four wives — plus her grandmother and told them that she was gay.

“This feels so awkward,” Mariah said as she prepared to share her news. “I’m freaking out.”

And then she said it: “Um, I’m gay.”

Her biological mother responded silently, while two other mothers said, “Are you really?” and “Are you serious?”

Her parents were in shock. Before coming out, they thought she was going to say she was moving closer to home or that she got into medical school. The result was far different.

The show ended in a cliffhanger, with Mariah responding with, “Yeah,” however, there are some clues from a preview as to what happens on next week’s episode.

At one point, her bio mom Meri says, “I did not see it coming. I thought I knew my daughter, I didn’t.”

Later she tells Mariah, “I just don’t want to say the wrong thing and be offensive, but at the same time I want to be able to say what I feel.”

Her father, Kody is seen in the preview saying: “We’re not happy that Mariah’s gay, we’re happy that she knows herself.”

Though her family is polygamous, a family and marriage type that is judged often, her family’s church believes homosexuality is a “sin.” It’s not exactly clear if her parents will accept her fully or not, and we’ll just have to wait until next week’s episode to find out.

But until then, it seems Mariah is getting a lot of love and support on social media. Check it out below:

@mariahlian To say I’m happy for you, is an understatement. Thank you for being you, beautiful girl! You are an inspiration! ❤ #loveislove

— Audrey Kriss (@ohheyitsaudrey) January 2, 2017