Before Alaskan Bush People star Matt Brown tragically died in May 2026, he and his family had been open about his struggles with substance abuse and ongoing efforts to maintain his sobriety.
Matt died at the age of 43 after he was reported missing and feared dead. After unnamed witnesses saw who they appeared to be Matt by a Washington state river, a short search later recovered his body. Authorities were aided by his brother, Noah Brown, who later confirmed he helped retrieve and ID his oldest brother’s remains.
A cause of death was not immediately given, but Matt’s family members publicly shared that they believed it was “self-inflicted.”
Us Weekly breaks down everything to know about the ups and downs in Matt’s life before his untimely death.
Matt Brown Went to Rehab in 2016
Just two years after Matt and his family began starring on Alaskan Bush People in 2014, he entered rehab for the first time in 2016.
In July 2016, he told People that he “could see [himself] spiraling” before he entered treatment, adding that he was nervous to discuss his unhealthy relationship with alcohol with his family. “There was a lot of anxiety. It took a couple days to work up the guts to tell my parents. But their support was unbelievable,” he said. “It instantly made me feel better and like I could be successful on this journey.”
Matt Brown Candidly Discussed His Drinking Problems While Recalling First Rehab Experience
“I’ve always been able to handle city life, no problem,” Matt told People following his first stint in rehab. “But I started hanging out with people who drank. They didn’t have a problem with it so while I was around them, I started drinking.”
He said that he started to make “bad choices” and he stopped drinking, though he started drinking again the following year.
“I started drinking lightly and then it got to be more and more,” he said. “That’s when I saw the problem around the corner, and I didn’t want to be one of those guys.”
While Matt claimed he only drank every few nights and never blacked out, he said he decided to enter an in-patient rehab center for 35 days in the spring of 2016 to get his drinking under control.
“I learned a lot about myself in those 35 days. I’ve turned my weakness into a strength,” he said. “In life, we all get lost every now and then and have to find our way back. Not everyone makes it back, and I’m happy to be one of those who did.”
Matt Brown Relapsed in 2018 and Went Back to Rehab
Matt relapsed in 2018 and went back to rehab in September of that year.
In 2019, he quietly exited Alaskan Bush People as he continued to struggle with substance abuse. Matt then moved away from his family, but continued to document his life on social media.
Matt Brown Struggled With Fell ‘Off the Wagon’ Before His Death
The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous call on May 27, 2026, about a man who was sitting in the shallow waters of the Okanogan River in Washington. The caller claimed that the man, who was believed to be Matt, was lying face down in the river and was being swept away from the current.
A search was set out for Matt, and the Brown family members took to social media to keep fans updated.
On May 28, 2026, Matt’s brother Bear Brown said he had “been struggling for a long time” with “alcohol and with drugs and stuff.”
“He has other issues and stuff, too. He has done a lot of stuff that people like, don’t even know about,” Bear continued in the TikTok video.
Bear also recalled the last time he saw Matt, explaining they ran into each other at a Walmart.
“That was the last time I saw him, you know, and he called me after that, and he said that he had fallen off the wagon, and I was like, ‘Well, get back on it, man, you know, everybody falls off, you know, just get back on it, rehab if you’ve got to, you’ve got this, you fought it a lot before,’ and that was the last call I had with him, and that was a little bit ago,” Bear said.
Bear added that Matt was going through “a really bad breakup” the last time they saw each other. “There was this girl that he really liked, and I guess they, like, broke up, and I guess he’d been drinking too much and stuff, and I don’t know all the details to it,” he said.
Matt Brown Found Dead at the Age of 43
Bear confirmed that Matt had been found dead at the age of 43 on May 30, 2026.
“They found a body in the river a few hours ago and it was positively identified as being Matt,” Bear said via TikTok. “[Brother] Noah was with them and helped them pull the body out of the water. Noah identified [Matt].”
Bear said that he knew Matt “struggled for a long time,” but he “never would have suspected that [Matt] would have hurt himself.”
“I was so worried that he would end up ODed or something like that. I didn’t think he would hurt himself,” Bear said.
The official cause of death was not known at the time, though Bear said he believed his brother’s death to be “self-inflicted.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
