Janelle Brown is clearly enjoying life after Kody Brown. The Sister Wives star shared a sweet new video of herself and boyfriend Pete on September 17, and used the moment to point out just how different this relationship feels compared to her nearly 30-year spiritual marriage to Kody.
In the clip, Janelle sits in the passenger seat while Pete drives, calling it a nod to her “passenger princess era.” According to PEOPLE, Janelle wrote in her caption, “Pete drives, he opens my car door, and he makes sure I’m taken care of. He spoils me in lots of old fashioned ways. I could get used to this.” Fans quickly flooded the comments asking whether Pete gives her the luggage rack, a callback to a running joke from the show, and Janelle confirmed that he does, adding that she has never had someone look out for her the way Pete does.
The luggage rack reference comes from a Season 19 episode. In it, Janelle and her former sister wife, Christine Brown, talked about how Kody always took the hotel luggage rack for his suitcase. This left them unpacking from the floor. Christine has since remarried David Woolley, who she noted does the opposite, always putting her suitcase on the rack instead of his own. Janelle later described the whole situation as symbolic of how Kody operated in their marriage.
Janelle revealed her relationship with Pete last month. This is her first confirmed romance since she and Kody split in 2022. Christine supported Pete in the comments. She called him an awesome guy and noted that he works in construction, just like her husband David. Viewers will get to see the relationship develop on screen, since Pete already appears multiple times in the newly released Season 21 trailer.
A Small Gesture With a Bigger Meaning
The luggage rack bit is funny on its surface, but it works because it points at something real. Janelle and Christine received the same message over the years in small, repeated ways. It wasn’t until they left their marriages that they saw it as a pattern, not just a quirk. Watching Janelle turn that same detail into a running joke about her new relationship is a pretty clear signal of how much has changed for her, without her needing to say a single negative word about Kody directly.
Gabriel covers the Real Housewives franchise, 90 Day Fiancé, The Bachelor, and Survivor. He specializes in cast updates, reunion recaps, and the small moments that turn into full-blown storylines. Gabriel has written about reality TV and entertainment for four years.
