Bear Brown says his brother Matt Brown had been battling alcohol and drugs, relapsing after rehab and dealing with a bad breakup before he disappeared. Bear also addressed witness claims that Matt was seen floating in a river, while authorities searched the Ok
Bear Brown’s last direct conversation with his brother Matt Brown ended with the same familiar tone he’s now repeating to the public: a plea to get back on track.
Posting on TikTok on Thursday, May 28, the Alaskan Bush People alum, 38, said Matt, 43, had been struggling for a long time, pointing to alcohol, drugs, and other personal issues he said “people like, don’t even know about.”
In the video, Bear recalled running into Matt at a Walmart and speaking with him for only a few minutes. After that. Matt called him to say he had “fallen off the wagon.” Bear said he told Matt to get back on it—adding that everyone falls off and that rehab was an option if he needed it. since Matt had “fought it a lot before.” Bear described that call as the last time he saw or spoke with his sibling.
Bear said the period before Matt disappeared also included a relationship breakdown. “He was going through like a really bad breakup. apparently. ” Bear said. explaining that Matt had been very attached to a woman and that they broke up. Bear said Matt had been drinking too much. though he admitted he didn’t know all the details of what happened.
His remarks came as grave fears spread about Matt’s wellbeing, after witnesses claimed they saw him floating in a river.
Bear addressed those claims in the TikTok video. saying he couldn’t confirm the speculation was “100%” accurate. but it was “likely.” He also pushed back against the attention turning into rumors. “First off, I’m not just making a video on rumors,” Bear said. He added that the chance it wasn’t Matt was “very. very. very. very. very small. ” describing it as “like 99 percent him.”.
The fear gained momentum after an anonymous call reached the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday. The caller reported a man sitting in the shallow waters of the Okanogan River in Washington. claiming to have seen him lying face down in the river and being swept away by the current. Emergency responders searched the area but had yet to find a body.
Matt Brown also appeared alongside Bear on Discovery’s Alaskan Bush People, which aired from 2014 to 2022. Matt quietly exited the reality show in 2019.
A source close to the Brown family told Us Weekly that the family wasn’t sure what to believe. saying they didn’t know where Matt was. but were hoping he was OK and that the information was wrong. The source added that Bear’s brother Gabe had been the person most in contact with Matt. and that the family was in communication with police while waiting to hear more.
Bear’s video lands in a moment of uncertainty—when family members are trying to hold on to what they know, even as search efforts continue and witness claims remain difficult to verify.
Bear Brown Matt Brown Alaskan Bush People TikTok Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office Okanogan River disappearance alcohol and drugs Walmart sighting rehab missing person