'Alaskan Bush People' Star Ami Brown's Estranged Mother Dies Before the Two Reconcile

Alaskan Bush People matriarch Ami Brown is reportedly devastated after her estranged mother, Earlene Branson, died earlier this month. Radar Online reports that Brown and Branson were estranged for years and did not reconcile before Branson's death.

"Ami is rather upset about this because she never go the opportunity to reconcile with her mom, who tried for years and years to see her daughter," a source told Radar Online.

"There is nothing that she can do. It's too late. She's gone," the source said.

According to her obituary, Branson died at her home in Springtown, Texas surrounded by loved ones on Nov. 9 at the age of 85. Her obituary mentioned Brown, stating, "[Branson's] daughter Ami Brown is a star of the hit television show Alaskan Bush People, which airs on the Discovery Channel."

Branson and Les Branson, Brown's brother, reportedly attempted to visit her in Alaska in 2016, but Brown was out of town at the time, according to Radar.

The mother and son told Radar that they had not heard from Brown in 10 years. Brown allegedly sent her mother a birthday card in 2007, promising to visit her during her husband Billy Brown's book tour.

"She said, 'We're going to come see you on Billy' book signing tour, we'll come down and see you,'" Les told Radar last year.

"We were very excited, thinking we were going to get to see her," he said, adding that he believes the family reunion was nixed by Billy Brown.

"I found out later that they drove right by, and Billy wouldn't let her stop and see any of us," Les said. "We were absolutely heartbroken. We're still waiting to see Ami. And we know it's all because of Billy!"

Brown and Billy were reportedly married when she was 15 and he was 26 in 1979.

"Billy started acting very controlling of Ami from the very beginning," Les told the news outlet last year. "I realized that Ami never spoke, Billy did all the talking. She would just kind of sit there beside him smiling. I didn't realize it then, but she wasn't allowed to speak. She couldn't speak without his permission!"

Ami and Billy share six kids: sons Matt, 35, Bam, 33, Bear, 31, Gabe, 28 and Noah, 26, and daughters Bird, 23, Rain, 15. Alaskan Bush People was recently renewed for a ninth season.