“Alaskan Bush People” star Matt Brown’s official cause of death was determined to be suicide, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
The 42-year-old Discovery Channel star was found dead Saturday in a Washington river with an unspecified injury, his brother, Solomon Isaiah “Bear” Brown, confirmed. The Okanogan County coroner’s office added Wednesday that methamphetamine use and “subsequent immersion in water” were also determining factors.
Bear Brown said the family believed at the time of his discovery that Matt, who had a history of mental illness and substance abuse and was estranged from his family, had taken his own life.
“It does look as though the injury is self-inflicted,” he said. “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.”
He noted that their other brother, Noah Brown, was at the scene when his body was found, and helped pull him from the water, as well as identify him immediately.
“It is with broken hearts that we share the loss of our beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend, Matthew Brown,” the family shared in a Monday statement. “To millions of viewers, Matt was known as one of the original stars of ‘Alaskan Bush People.’ To us, he was so much more. Matt was intelligent, curious, creative and endlessly fascinated by the world around him. He was a gifted outdoorsman, fisherman, boatman, artist and lifelong learner. He loved adventure, nature and discovering new things.”
The reality star appeared on “Alaskan Bush People” from its premiere in 2014 until his exit in 2019, while the show went on until 2022.
“Matt spent many years battling serious mental health challenges and addiction. Like countless families facing similar circumstances, we experienced periods of hope, recovery, setbacks, heartbreak and reconciliation,” the family’s message further noted. “Our Dad, Billy Brown, never stopped believing in Matt’s ability to heal and find peace, and neither did we. Matt’s life was not without mistakes, struggles and painful chapters. Some of those chapters caused hurt, and we do not minimize that. At the same time, we do not believe any person’s life should be defined solely by their lowest moments.”
