Reading Time: 4 minutes
Garrick Merrifield has been arrested for domestic violence.
The lone man in the Merrifield plural marriage has been one of Seeking Sister Wife‘s most-hated figures.
Despite how viewers feel, Merrifield went on to marry again.
Now, viewers are asking what happened, who the alleged victim was, and how this will change the family — and the show.
Garrick Merrifield arrested in Colorado
TMZ reports that authorities arrested Garrick Merrifield on Monday, November 24 in Chaffee County, Colorado.
The charge was domestic violence.
According to a spokesperson for the jail, he has since secured bonded release.
The report is light on details.
We do not know who Merrifield allegedly attacked. Word is that there was a Portuguese interpreter in court, leading some to assume that this involved Lorrana — but that is only a guess.
The Seeking Sister Wife star is also facing a charge of “telephone-obstruct service,” a class 1 misdemeanor.
That means that he stands accused of preventing someone from making a call — such as if someone were attempting to contact emergency services, to name an example.
Many states have similar laws on the books, albeit under slightly different names.
This arrest comes just one week after he, wife Lorrana, and wife Dannielle announced their news.
In July, Lorrana gave birth to Sarah Mae Merrifield, adding a baby daughter to their plural family.
They are one of the most infamous ‘Seeking Sister Wife’ families
Garrick Merrifield and Danielle have shared their story on Seeking Sister Wife across multiple seasons.
The TLC reality series features partners from different cultural and religious backgrounds who are polygamous. The Merrifields are from the largest group, Christians, who account for about half of the backgrounds.
Garrick had thrown up red flags for viewers, with some accusing him of humiliating Danielle on purpose.
However, during the sixth season of SSW, they welcomed Lorrana, who is from Brazil, into their family.
Garrick and Dannielle already share three children. Geremiah and Solomon are both teens. Leia is about two-and-a-half, as they welcomed her in May 2023.
The United States does not have true marriage equality. First and foremost, because disabled people cannot marry without likely losing their disability benefits.
But second of all, people in plural relationships must essentially play favorites in order secure spousal rights.
For that reason, Garrick and Dannielle legally divorced years ago to allow him to (legally) remarry.
This is a complex situation for people to navigate. And polygamous couples — where there is one central spouse, a husband, rather than other plural relationships where all partners share each other — may feel like this legal divorce is a prelude to actual divorce.
Obviously, the Merrifields are not an example to put forward of why laws should accommodate other family types. But
Was that foreshadowing?
Back in September, Garrick and Dannielle Merrifield spoke on the Seeking Sister Wife Season 6 premiere about their growing family.
“Things really matured [and] started going in a good direction,” Garrick reported at the time.
“We kind of hashed out a lot of deep, heartfelt, serious questions that you and her [as well as] me and her [had],” he said.
Garrick added a significant line: “Especially because I knew she had a past and she had some men treat her really bad.”
He said at the time: “After being together with her for five days, all of us, I was like, ‘You know, I feel really good about her. God wants me to ask her to be my wife.’”
Hopefully, we will all know more about what happened very soon. For many, they wrote of Merrifield even before he shared his unhinged theories about sperm.
Garrick Merrifield Arrested: ‘Seeking Sister Wife’ Star Booked on Domestic … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.