'Sister Wives' Star Kody Brown On Christine Brown's Split Announcement: 'Great Deal Of Sadness'

"Sister Wives" star Kody Brown has addressed Christine Brown's decision to leave their marriage in a new Instagram post. Christine took to Instagram on Tuesday to announce their split, shortly before the season 16 premiere of their long-running TLC series.

"After more than 25 years together, Kody and I have grown apart and I have made the difficult decision to leave," she wrote. "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."

Christine also thanked their fans for being "understanding" and having "compassion," before adding several hashtags to her caption, including "#changeisgood" and "#changeisscary."

Kody also issued a statement addressing Christine's decision, saying they would continue to co-parent their children despite the split.

"Christine's decision to leave comes with a great deal of sadness," he wrote. "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," he added.

Kody and Christine, who tied the knot in March 1994, share six children: daughters Aspyn, Mykelti, Gwendlyn, Ysabel and Truely, and son Paedon. Their split came as a shock to viewers who have followed their journey as a family on "Sister Wives" since 2010.

When the series premiered in September 2010, Christine, who came from a polygamous family, revealed that she was 19 when she decided she wanted to be part of plural marriage. When she married Kody in 1994, he was already married to Meri Brown and Janelle Brown. In 2010, he married Robyn Brown, his fourth wife.

Christine explained why she wanted to marry Kody. "I honestly wanted sister wives more than a husband for a good time of my life," she said. "I want the whole family. I didn't just want Kody. No, I wanted everything."

The teaser for "Sister Wives" season 16 shows Christine addressing troubles in her and Kody's marriage. She had also addressed their marital issues last season, saying it had been "a struggle."