[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Matt Brown‘s family has heartbreaking news about the Alaskan Bush People star.
Bear Brown took to TikTok on Thursday to share that his brother may have died by suicide this week. Choking up in the video, the 38-year-old reality star explained that he cannot confirm whether that happened or not, but all signs point to it at this time:
“I’m being told that late last night that Matt took his own life. I can’t confirm that that’s true, but witnesses say that he was seen in a river, at a river, or close to a river, and that he took his own life, and then they saw him floating in the river. They called the police and that they’ve been scouring, doing what they do, trying to find the body. So far, they haven’t been able to find any body. All the witnesses are saying it was Matt.”
Related: Legendary NHL Player Claude Lemieux Found Dead By Apparent Suicide
Bear expressed that Matt had “been struggling for a long time,” specifically with alcohol and drug addiction issues. He shared that the last time he saw the 42-year-old was when they unexpectedly ran into each other at Walmart before Bear left for Florida. He then last heard from him recently when Matt shared that he had relapsed:
“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. Everybody falls off. Just get back on it. Go to rehab if you’ve got to. You’ve got this.’”
Despite Matt dealing with struggles and a bad breakup at the time, Bear “never thought” his brother would take his own life. However, Bear cannot 100 percent say for certain that Matt is dead, and that’s what happened to him. But again, he mentioned it’s looking more and more like he is gone. He told followers he’ll keep them updated once he learns more and asked them not to “attack” their mother or family amid this difficult time. Watch the emotional video (below):
@bearthekingofextreme Really bad news about Matt #bearthekingofextreme #alaskanbushpeople #thelifeofbear #fyp
♬ original sound – Bear Brown
According to TMZ on Friday, the police in Washington state are searching for an unidentified male. The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed someone called 911 on Wednesday to report that a man was sitting in the shallow waters of the Okanagan River just south of the city of Oroville. The person looked away for a second but heard a sound and turned back around to find the man lying face down in the river before being swept away by the current.
Police, firefighters, and EMS responded to the scene and began to search. However, they could not find the body. The Sheriff’s Office told TMZ they still haven’t found a body as of Friday morning, and they’ll continue to search once the weather in the area improves.
How sad…
The shocking and concerning update about Matt comes amid some cryptic messages on his supposed Facebook. On Wednesday, the same day the television personality was reportedly last spotted, a lengthy post appeared that read:
“Feelings shift. Priorities change. Connections fade. That’s part of life, no matter how painful it is to accept. The strongest people aren’t the ones who never get abandoned. They’re the ones who learn how to rebuild themselves after disappointment without losing their softness. So appreciate people. Love deeply. Be genuine. But never lose yourself trying to hold onto someone who has already let go. At the end of the day, your relationship with yourself is the one that must survive every version of your life.”
Notably, a couple of videos dropped on the page on Thursday — a day after he supposedly got swept away by the river. An ominous message also popped up that said:
“Sometimes, the hardest task you must do everyday is to keep going. You know you can just lay there on your bed the whole day, but something inside you whispers hope to get up and urge you to fix yourself. I guess you are a strong person to handle some heavy situations like this. And I guess you must be proud of it. I know all this time, you’ve been trying hard to survive a day with deep sadness and you’ve been trying to find an escape from it. It is not easy darling, it will never be easy to pick yourself up again after a great downfall. One thing that you should keep in mind is that whether you’re okay or not, time won’t just stop for you, you may be tired of trying to fix yourself over and over again, but trust your own strength darling. Tell yourself that you will never give up till the day you found your happiness.”
While some may think Matt’s posted in real time or scheduled these posts, Bear took to TikTok on Friday to say his brother only has a YouTube account. He apparently never had a Facebook or TikTok account, and those are “scammers posing as him.”
@bearthekingofextreme Talking about Matt, as well as some of the comments y’all have been leaving on my latest video #thelifeofbear #alaskanbushpeople #fyp #bearthekingofextreme
♬ original sound – Bear Brown
At this time, there are no other updates about his alleged death. Hopefully, this is a misunderstanding, and he is alright. Our thoughts are with the family amid the unimaginable situation, though.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, help is available. Consider contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, by calling, texting, or chatting, or go to 988lifeline.org.
If you or someone you know is experiencing substance abuse, help is available. Consider checking out the resources SAMHSA provides at https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline or check out StartYourRecovery.org.
[Image via Matt Brown/Instagram, Bear Brown/TikTok]
