Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
The Brown family are grieving after Bear shared heartbreaking news on TikTok, as further information about Matt’s final years offers a somber look at what he had been going through.
Matt Brown, an original cast member of Discovery Channel’s Alaskan Bush People, has died aged 43 after his body was recovered from a river in Washington state.
His brother Bear confirmed the death in an emotional TikTok posted on Saturday night, saying Matt had been found in the Okanogan River near Oroville.
“They found a body in the river a few hours ago and it was positively identified as being Matt,” Bear told his followers.
Bear also said their younger brother Noah was the one who first noticed the body and helped bring it out of the water.
According to a press release from the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, a 911 caller reported seeing a man sitting in shallow water in the Okanogan River. The caller later observed the man go face down in the water before drifting away with the current.
Responding crews began a search, but a body was not located at that time. Bear had already voiced concern online after going days without being able to reach his brother.
Authorities also found a firearm near the water close to where Matt was initially reported missing. An autopsy has not yet been completed.
In his TikTok, Bear spoke about personal battles Matt had faced away from the cameras, including struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, along with other issues he had chosen to keep private in recent years.
Previous reports had claimed Matt had become distant from some relatives.
Matt was a well-known presence throughout Alaskan Bush People’s 14-season run on Discovery, appearing in nearly 80 episodes before the series ended in 2022. The show documented the Brown family’s off-grid lifestyle in the Alaskan wilderness and made them reality TV mainstays.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.