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As previously documented, Christine Brown has lost a lot of weight. But someone very close to the long-time Sister Wives star is now hoping Christine loses something else in the near future: Her wedding ring. And the commitment that comes along with it. The veteran TLC personality, who rarely shares photo with spiritual husband Kody, is the subject of a new interview between Radar Online and Kristyn Decker. The latter is both Christine’s aunt and also the author of Fifty Years in Polygamy: Big Secrets and Little White Lies . She’s someone who grew up in polygamy, only to finally escape 33 years after she married her first husband. In other words: This is not some random critic of Christine, Kody and their unusual lifestyle… … this is someone who can speak from personal experience. Now that she’s happily in a monogamous marriage, Decker is calling on her estranged niece to do the same. “I was still in polygamy when Christine joined,” Decker tells Radar of watching her relative become a Sister Wife. “She looked happy. I thought, ‘She’s crazy about Kody, so go for it!’ Even as a believer, I wanted to privately to go tell them to run. I knew how crazy and insane it was. “You don’t know what you’re getting into. I wish I would’ve warned people.” Many observers have offered similar critiques for Christine and the three other women who shares Kody as a husband. But almost none of them have known the life of polygamy in the way Decker has, which is why her words are garnering national attentoon. “It’s a miserable-happy life,” she explains in this article. Meaning what, exactly? “The Browns are miserable-happy,” she says, elaborating as follows: They’re miserable on the inside. I don’t think any of them know what genuine happiness and freedom is. I thought I was happy. I thought life was great and I was serving God. “I was happy serving God, but miserable doing it. The more you sacrifice, the better your blessings will be in heaven.” Decker actually has appeared on Sister Wives. Her name or face may be familiar to long-time viewers. But she tells Radar that she and Christine never really talk, mostly due to Decker’s critical nature of her niece’s arrangement. Why does she think Brown can’t see clearly? Why isn’t Christine getting the heck out of there? Because she makes most of her income off the program and would be in financial trouble if she left. It’s a tragic and vicious and emotionally-damaging cycle. Kristyn went on to tell Radar how the Brown family belongs to is called the  AUB, which stands for Apostolic United Brethren. She said that while physical abuse is common, it is “not as common as emotional and mental abuse.” “Polygamy is a system of abuse overall,” she says. “Mental, emotional, and spiritual. The groups believe their leaders are the right ones and the others are wrong. Overall, polygamy is a system that’s harmful to men, women, children and society. “You will live in polygamy and the women will be submissive. The women must let the men have other wives or they’ll go to hell.” Sounds about right, doesn’t it? Helps explain why Meri Brown always sounds so sad, doesn’t it ? Kody married first wife Meri in 1990. Second wife Janelle joined the family in 1993. Christine married Kody in 1994. Then, Robyn joined the family in 2010. These two legally married in 2014 — meaning Kody had to divorce Meri — so he could adopt Robyn’s children from a previous marriage. In the family’s tell-all memoir, Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage , Christine opened up about the ups and downs in their marriage. She admitted that Kody’s marriage to Robyn really took its toll on her. “When Kody started courting and then married Robyn it really rocked me. I gave birth to Truely and was suffering from extreme postpartum depression,” wrote Christine, adding: “I’d never thought I’d feel such a sense of loss and such crippling jealousy. I thought I was better and stronger than that, I really did.” Don’t blame yourself, Christine. Just get the heck out of there — NOW. View Slideshow: Meri and Kody Brown: Is This Really It for the Sister Wives Couple?

More:
Christine Brown’s Aunt Begs Star to Leave Sister Wives: It’s an Abusive Cult!