Matt Brown, who previously appeared on nearly 80 episodes of Alaskan Bush People, has passed away. He was 43 years old.
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In his most recent social media post, Matt’s brother, Bear, revealed the devastating news. Bear pointed out that his older brother was missing before his body was discovered.
“They found a body in the river a few hours ago,” he explained. “And it was positively identified as being Matt.”
Matt was notably the child of Ami and Billy Brown. His death has been confirmed to be a suicide.
In his post, Bear spoke about how his other brother, Noah, had helped the search party pull Matt from the water. “I would have never suspected he would have hurt himself, honestly,” Bear admitted. “He struggled for a long time, as I’ve mentioned. And I was so worried he was going to end up, you know, like, OD’d or something like that. I didn’t think he would hurt himself.”
Bear further shared, “It does look as though the injury is self-inflicted. Obviously, the coroner and stuff still has to look at him and stuff. But I thought that y’all guys should know that it is him.”
The fellow Brown family member went on to ask fans to be respectful to his family and mom. Please watch the comments that you leave, guys,” he said. “Sometimes words can hurt more than fists can…”
Bear noted that his brother had pointed out that online bullies targeted him. “One of his last videos, he’s actually talking about how negative people were on his posts. And you guys should keep in mind that people on the other side of your screen, people that you’re watching a video of, they are real people, too.”
One of Matt’s Other Brothers Posted Suicide Help Hotlines
Just after the news broke, Matt’s other brother, Josh “Bam Bam” Brown, posted suicide help hotlines on Instagram. He also reshared a special message about Noah.
“Please make sure Noah is OK in particular as he went the extra mile to ensure Matt was brought back and could be ID’d,” the post reads. “He ID’d him himself, and that’s horrifying for any sibling to do. Thoughts are with you all. Forget all the troubles and issues that existed, and come together to remember Matt and the joy he brought in his own eccentric way.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.