Content Advisory: This article discusses suicide, addiction, death, and an autopsy report. Reader discretion is advised.
New details have been released in the death of former ‘Alaskan Bush People’ star Matt Brown.
An autopsy report has confirmed that the 43-year-old reality TV personality died by suicide after his body was recovered from a Washington state river last month.
According to an autopsy conducted by the Okanogan County Coroner and obtained by Page Six, Brown died from a single gunshot wound to the head. The report also noted contributing factors, including immersion in water after the injury and the presence of methamphetamine in his system at the time of death. Officials have authorized the release of Brown’s body to his family for funeral arrangements.
The findings bring a final answer to a painful search that played out publicly as Brown’s family feared the worst.
Matt Brown Was Found After A River Search
Brown had been missing after witnesses reported seeing a man near the Okanogan River outside Oroville, Washington, on May 27.
As concern grew, his younger brother Bear Brown shared updates with fans online. Before officials formally identified the body, Bear said witnesses had connected Matt to the incident.
“All the witnesses are saying that it was Matt,” Bear said in a video during the search. “It looks like it is. It’s looking very likely that it is the case.”
Days later, Bear confirmed the family’s fears. “They found a body in the river a few hours ago, and it was positively identified as being Matt,” he told followers.
Bear also said their youngest brother, Noah Brown, helped in the recovery effort. “Noah helped them pull the body out of the water, and Noah identified [Matt],” Bear said.
Bear Brown Said The Family Feared It Was Self-Inflicted
The autopsy findings follow comments Bear made shortly after Matt’s body was recovered.
At the time, Bear said he had never expected his brother to harm himself. “I would’ve never thought that Matt would hurt himself,” he said. “It does look as though it was self-inflicted.”
Brown became known to viewers as one of the original stars of Discovery Channel’s ‘Alaskan Bush People.’ The show followed the Brown family as they lived an off-grid lifestyle and became one of Discovery’s most recognizable reality TV families.
Matt later stepped away from the series and entered rehabilitation for alcohol addiction.
Matt Brown Had Publicly Faced Personal Struggles
In the years after leaving the show, Brown maintained a smaller public presence through social media and YouTube videos.
He was also largely separated from the rest of the Brown family, a distance that drew speculation from viewers over time.
During the search, Bear addressed those struggles directly. He said Matt had “been struggling for a long time with alcohol and with drugs.”
Bear also pushed back against claims that the family had abandoned Matt, saying the estrangement was more complicated than outsiders understood.
Brown’s death has now left the family facing another painful chapter after years of public attention, private conflict, and personal hardship.
For fans who watched him on ‘Alaskan Bush People,’ the autopsy report confirms the tragic end of a reality star whose struggles continued long after he left television.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, addiction, or thoughts of self-harm, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org for free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
