Alarming ‘Alaskan Bush People’ Claims Revealed

Over the course of seven seasons, fans have fallen in love with the wild and wacky Brown family at the center of Discovery’s Alaskan Bush People.

The show chronicles the lives of the Browns, who live in solidarity in the Alaskan bush, as they navigate their everyday struggles and relationships.

While many have celebrated the authentic lifestyle of Billy Brown and his clan, all may not be as it seems. Over the last few years there have been numerous claims that Alaskan Bush People has been lying to audiences about how these people really live.

From how they spend their time, to the background of several of the family members, it appears as though much of the show could have been staged to make dramatic television. It’s common knowledge that many reality TV shows have to script a lot of their drama, but fans held out hope that Alaskan Bush People was different, and that this family was truly as they seemed.

Unfortunately, claims and court cases against the Browns beg to differ.

Do the Browns Live In Alaska?

The first, and most important claim against the Brown family is that they don’t actually live in the Alaskan Wilderness. 

According to the Facebook page Alaskan Bush People Exposed, who have been chronicling the “true lives” of the Browns for a number of years, the family actually splits their time between Colorado and Los Angeles.

The page states that the show films in Alaska, but that the Browns have rental homes in Colorado and L.A. for when the cameras aren’t rolling. 

This goes directly against the lifestyle that Discovery describes in the description for the show, as the channel states that the Browns are “so far removed from civilization that they often go six to nine months without seeing an outsider.”

The claims about the Browns living outside of Alaska seem to be backed up by some legal trouble that recently plagued the family. In fact, the Browns were in hot water for lying about their Alaskan residence in the past.

The Court Case

Back in 2015, several members of the Brown family were accused of stealing a grand total of $20,938 from the state of Alaska.

Every year, the state gives residents a check for $1884, just for living in Alaska. According to Fox News, four of the family members claimed residence in Alaska from 2009-2012, but didn’t actually spend the majority of their time there.

This case started as nothing but claims, but it turned into substantial trouble for the Browns. 

In January of last year, CNN reported that Billy and Joshua Brown pleaded guilty to the charges of fraud that the family was facing. They were sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay a hefty fine.

In June, Alaska Dispatch-News revealed that the two men managed to stay out of jail and would head to Juneau for electronic monitoring instead.

Permanent Move?

The Browns have been accused of living outside of Alaska in the past, but it looks like they could make that move more permanent – even during the times when they’re filming.

Alaskan Bush People Exposed has, on several occasions, talked about the family moving to Colorado to film the next season. 

The posts made by the page have led many to believe that a new “Browntown” is being made in Colorado so that the whole family can be together for Season 8, if it’s renewed.

Ami has to undergo treatment for her lung cancer in California, so she can’t travel back to Alaska to film a new season. The reports from ABP Exposed state that Colorado home will be used so that Ami can participate, and she will return to L.A. when filming completes. 

Other Fraudulent Claims

While the true home of the Browns has been the biggest claim against Alaskan Bush People, there have been several reports of other issues with the show over the years.

One of the big draws to the show is that the family doesn’t really experience a current lifestyle, but that may not be true. Billy Brown is an accomplished writer, publishing the book One Wave at a Time, which reportedly inspired the show. The children have also been seen using technology in the past, as Gabriel Brown proves by posting a YouTube video back in 2008.

Fans enjoy the love story of Ami and Bobby Brown, but it may be a little creepier than the show is willing to admit. According to Radar Online, Ami was only 15 when she married 26-year-old Billy in 1979.

Speaking of love stories, Noah also had an issue with one of his previous relationships.

Back in Season 5, Noah Brown revealed that he’d med a woman named Karynna Kauffman, who he was very fond of. Soon after the episode aired, Radar Online reported that Kauffman was an actress, though it was never confirmed that she was paid to appear on the show.

With all these claims against it, Alaskan Bush People may not be the genuine experience that many believed it to be.