Is Matt Brown Dead? Alaskan Bush People Star Allegedly Took His Own Life

Matt Brown, the Alaskan Bush People alum, was the subject of an unconfirmed death scare on Thursday, 28 May, after his brother Bear Brown posted a TikTok saying he had been told Matt may have died near a river in Washington state. Bear was explicit that he could not verify the claim, and no law enforcement agency had publicly confirmed Matt's condition or whereabouts.

The news came after Bear Brown used Instagram on Wednesday, 27 May, to say his brother had been struggling with alcohol and other drugs and was 'not in a good place right now.' That post, and the later TikTok, pushed a private family worry into the open, but they also left the central question unchanged.

The River Reports

According to Bear's TikTok, witnesses had told him Matt was seen 'at a river, or close to a river,' and that he had taken his own life. He added that he could not confirm the story, then said police had been called and were searching for a body. Bear's wording was hesitant, even as the message itself was grim.

Authorities in Okanogan County, Washington, were already dealing with a separate search for an unidentified man reported in the Okanogan River near Oroville. TMZ said a 911 caller described seeing a man sitting in shallow water before looking back and finding him face down and swept away by the current, while another report said the search resumed once weather conditions allowed. None of those reports publicly identified the man as Matt Brown.

Bear's Version of Events

Bear Brown also used his earlier Instagram Reel to push back on the idea that the family had turned its back on Matt. He claimed the family had tried to help him, said Matt blamed relatives for his problems, and described long-running addiction struggles.

He went further in the TikTok video, saying Matt had 'done a lot of stuff that people don't even know about' and insisting that the family had not shunned him. Bear said he had spoken to Matt and had encouraged him to stay on the path to sobriety, including telling him to go to rehab if needed.

What Is Confirmed

Bear Brown did post about feared news concerning Matt, but he repeatedly stopped short of confirming death. Authorities were searching the river area for an unidentified man, yet no official identification had been made public.

Social media has a habit of turning uncertainty into certainty in about four seconds, and this story has not earned that kind of confidence. As it stands, the only solid ground is that Bear Brown has voiced serious concern, a search was under way, and the key fact everyone wants answered remains unconfirmed.