Alaskan Bush People fans have been through a roller coaster with the Brown family and their connection in Alaska. But for some, the full truth is far from the Brown family's foothold and some locals even allege the clan doesn't rough it in the woods as the show claims.
The lifestyle portrayed in Alaska and featured on the Discovery staple stands in contrast to what many consider the reality, especially as the family attempts to return for another season. These rumors are only amplified with the headlines the family grabs due to horrifying accidents, police interactions and romantic entanglement. And now with a war of words between the stars and the locals in Alaska, new light is shined on their homestead situation.
Recent events have seen brothers arguing with each other, lawsuits rise against the estate of Brown and even some accusations around the wealth left behind by the late patriarch. We've also seen others split from the family to head back to Alaska and seemingly take up the life they live on television. Others have tried similar, only to have an unpleasant run-in with the locals.
Mother Ami Brown's cancer battle and treatment in 2017 led to the Brown clan reportedly living in a $2.7 million mansion in Beverly Hills. Since 2018, the family has lived on a 435-acre property in the North Cascade Mountains in Washington, near filming locations for the Discovery program. According to an interview in PEOPLE with Ami Brown, the cancer treatments were the reason for both moves.
But with the death of Brown, his estate and financial details became public as the family came to terms with the loss. According to a previous PopCulture report, Brown didn't sign a will before his death, leaving his wife to request to be the personal representative of his estate. After taking over the role, she listed Brown's total assets as $439,000, with $415,000 of that in real property for four parcels of land. She also noted that Brown had $2,000 saved in a Wells Fargo bank account. His furniture and other household items are worth $10,000, while his livestock was valued at $12,000. Brown also owed $27,000 in medical bills. Overall, his estate was valued at $412,0000. No mention of a mansion.
While these claims have twisted and changed given the circumstances, there have been plenty of other examples of how the truth of Alaskan Bush People is a bit different than what is portrayed on television. According to a 2016 report in Anchorage Daily News, the Brown family's "seclusion" is broken by gunshots, according to the Discovery series. But in reality, a neighbor shot fireworks at a helicopter filming the show.
"The entire house is shaking; my youngest boy Ethan, who was about 4 at the time, is crying," neighbor Jason Hoke told the outlet. "After trying unsuccessfully to wave it away, Hoke said he "decided to shoot a couple in the air, not in the vicinity, and let them know 'Hey, get away from my house!'"
According to other reports, the family has been accused of only living in "the bush" in Alaska during filming, while staying in hotels or homes away in California and Oregon while not filming. A report from The Sun in fall 2021 also shared that the family might not have been using their Washington State property fuil time either. "They rent down in Loomis, the kids rent and so forth. Nobody lives up there," a local source told The Sun. "The Browns tried to establish themselves up there and then the fire came a year ago and that's why they were down in town. Things might have been different if there hadn't been illnesses and that kind of stuff."
Whether the claims are valid or not, fans of the show are split on how they feel about the Brown family. Scroll down to seae how fans praise the Alaskan Bush People stars or question the "reality" of the reality series.