Matt Brown, known for appearing on Discovery Channel’s Alaskan Bush People, has died by suicide, according to his brother Bear Brown. Bear shared the update in a TikTok video on Saturday, saying that Noah Brown, Matt’s younger brother, pulled Matt’s body from the Okanogan River in Washington and identified him. Bear said the injury appeared to be self-inflicted, while noting that the coroner would still need to confirm the cause of death.
In his video, Bear asked people to be respectful toward his family, especially their mother, and to think carefully about the comments they leave online. He said that negative remarks can be deeply painful and pointed to one of Matt’s last videos, in which Matt discussed the harsh criticism he had received on his posts. Bear also reminded followers that the people they watch on screens are real human beings.
Bear had previously said in another TikTok video last Thursday that Matt had struggled for a long time with alcohol and drug use. He insisted the family did not reject him, but said Matt had pulled away from them. According to Bear, the last time he saw his brother was at Walmart, where Matt told him he had “fallen off the wagon.” Bear said he encouraged Matt to go to rehab.
Bear also said Matt was dealing with a serious breakup with a woman he liked and had been drinking heavily. He said he did not know every detail of the situation, but believed those personal troubles had added to Matt’s difficulties.
Concern about Matt had increased earlier this month after he posted a troubling YouTube livestream in which he appeared nude, spoke incoherently, and carried what appeared to be a firearm. The video alarmed fans and raised fears about his well-being before news of his death emerged.
Matt Brown was 43 years old. He was part of Alaskan Bush People from 2014 to 2019, alongside his parents Billy and Ami Brown and his siblings. The Discovery Channel series followed the Brown family as they lived off the grid in the wilderness and became one of the network’s best-known reality shows.
