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The families and communities of “Sister Wives” and “Seeking Sister Wife” experience a lot of change.
The fourth season of “Seeking Sister Wife” concluded on September 5 and showcased a heartbreaking moment for Dannielle and Garrick Merrifield.
The couple received a text message from Roberta Pache, their potential sister wife since 2019, who stated that she would not leave Brazil to join them in the U.S. as originally planned.
TLC captured Dannielle’s reaction to this message, as she sobbed into her hands and clutched her chest.
“How could she? I don’t understand. She said she was my sister!” Dannielle cried in the chair. “She lied. She never loved me! She never loved me! … She doesn’t care about the princes? My mom and dad?” She is referring to her children with Garrick, as well as her parents, who have met and planned to welcome Pache into the family.
This news came as a shock, following their trip to Brazil to visit Pache. The Merrifields had expressed their desire for her to finally come to Colorado. Pache was granted her visa but was hesitant to leave her mother. This trip also exposed Pache’s issue with Garrick dating more potential sister wives.
Their visit contained many conversations about their relationship, which seemed to be resolved and solid. Pache’s ticket to the U.S. was purchased and the Merrifields awaited her arrival, until they received her message.
“I promised that I would get there even after everything on the trip. I tried. I tried a lot. But I can’t feel the same as before,” Dannielle read the text to TLC producers. “I was feeling excluded, feeling like nothing. It was so humiliating for me, all asking how I was feeling, finding out that Garrick and Lea went beyond just conversation and dinner. After that day I kept thinking that everything we had that was most beautiful, special, and pure has broken apiece and is hurting too much sister. Maybe for you it may seem like something easy to go through but here we have another culture. … I’m sorry we’re all sad.”
Dannielle Legally Divorced Garrick to Ensure Roberta Could Come to the US
Season 3 saw Garrick and Dannielle file for divorce in order to allow Garrick to marry Pache. Legally marrying Garrick would allow Pache to leave Brazil and join them in Colorado.
Since then, the couple had prepared for their sister wife’s arrival. Season 4 showed the Merrifields building their house with a large family in mind. The trio would be living with Garrick and Dannielle’s two children and Dannielle’s parents, with continued discussions of adding more children.
All of the planning and sacrifices for this outcome seemed to affect Dannielle. “I got divorced for her, and she won’t even come here? She wouldn’t even face us after three and a half years?” she says in the episode, as she moves her belongings out of the room she planned to share with Pache and back into Garrick’s room.
“I guess the hardest thing is we sincerely loved her with our whole hearts and gave ourselves completely with honor, integrity, steadfastness, commitment,” Garrick expressed in the room that will now sit empty.
Roberta Asked for Money Prior to Ending the Relationship
The Merrifields shared the upsetting news with their family and added details of the relationship’s demise.
“She asked for a large sum of money. After the money cleared her bank account, the next morning is when I got the message that she wasn’t coming,” Garrick revealed.
The couple admitted that Roberta asked for $9,800 this time. However, this was not the only time they supplied her with funds.
“For over three years now, we had sent her quite a large sum of money a month. It was thousands of dollars. Definitely thousands and thousands,” Dannielle confirmed.
Shocked and upset, their family asked if this experience has changed their view of their relationship. Still a bit teary-eyed, Dannielle and Garrick remained united and optimistic about the future of growing their family.
“I feel like God wants us to live this way. I don’t question that. I know everything happens for a reason and I don’t want to stop loving. I want to have a sister,” Dannielle vehemently states. “There’s somebody good out there. We did it for love and we would do it again.”