Matt Brown, known for his role on “Alaskan Bush People,” was reportedly experiencing significant emotional distress in the period before his passing, as revealed by a family friend to Page Six.
Tragically, Brown was found deceased in the Okanogan River in Washington over the weekend. His brother, Bear, disclosed that the cause of death was suicide.
Page Six had a conversation with Chay Moore from Stardog Champion K9 on Thursday. Moore, a close friend of the Brown family who also took part in recovering Matt’s body from the river, shared insights into Matt’s struggles. He mentioned that he had seen Matt less than three weeks before the tragic discovery and noted that the reality TV star was under significant stress.
“He was having trouble with his pickup truck, which added to his stress. The vehicle wouldn’t start, preventing him from embarking on a planned trip,” Moore explained.
Moore further added, “He had recently ended a relationship with his girlfriend, and all these issues seemed to overwhelm him simultaneously.”
Matt was dating a woman named Jamie prior to his death, and while Moore said he didn’t know the exact time frame of their breakup, he said he knew “it was definitely on his mind” on the particular day he saw Matt.
“He had been walking and riding buses and, you know, from town to town to, to survive,” he also said of the hardships Matt was facing after his truck broke down. “He was using buses and stuff.”
Moore said Jamie was instrumental in finding Matt’s body.
“Matt’s girlfriend was really, really pushing us hard to get it moving and get out there on that water,” he shared. “I think she had a notion of where she thought he was, you know, in her mind, I think.”
“She basically spearheaded the searchers on that river,” he added.
In a TikTok video last week, Bear said that Matt was “going through a really bad breakup” with “a girl he really liked.”
“I guess he had been drinking too much. I don’t know all the details to it,” he said.
He also said that Matt “has been struggling for a long time with alcohol and with drugs,” but he insisted the family did not “shun” him. Instead, Matt allegedly “didn’t want anything to do with the family.”
In Bear’s video over the weekend confirming Matt’s death he shared, “I didn’t think he would hurt himself, it does look like the injury is self-inflicted.”
Matt and Bear’s youngest brother, Noah, also confirmed that they found Matt’s body in a river and said he was the one who identified him.
The Brown family appeared on Discovery Channel’s “Alaskan Bush People” between 2014 and 2019. The reality series followed the family of nine as they lived off the grid in the wilderness.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.