Bear Brown Calls Out Cruelty as Family Faces Unimaginable Loss

When tragedy strikes, it often brings out both the best and worst in people. Bear Brown, the 38-year-old star of Discovery’s Alaskan Bush People, is learning that hard truth right now as his family grapples with fears for his brother Matt, 43.

On Friday, May 29, Bear posted a Facebook video addressing the situation after authorities in Washington began searching for an unidentified man swept away by the Okanogan River on Wednesday, May 27. The Okanogan County Sheriff Office received a 911 call reporting someone submerged in the shallow waters. While there’s been no official confirmation, Bear made clear the family believes there’s roughly a 99 percent chance it’s Matt. The search has been temporarily halted due to severe weather conditions in the region, and the body has not yet been recovered.

But it wasn’t just the crisis itself that prompted Bear to go public. He was deeply bothered by something else entirely: the toxic comments flooding his and Matt’s social media accounts. Instead of compassion, strangers were leaving what Bear called“nasty”and“negative”remarks. His frustration was palpable.“I wonder where the kindness has gone in the world and why people knock people down instead of trying to help them,”he said in the video.“People’s words hurt people. They do.”

Bear also felt compelled to address speculation that the family had abandoned Matt. That’s simply not true, he insisted. The Browns spent considerable time, effort, and money trying to support him—it was Matt who distanced himself from the family. Bear maintained that he personally stayed in touch with his brother, even as others didn’t.“We spent a lot of trouble, stuff, hassle and money trying to help Matt,”Bear explained.“Everybody cared about him. Everyone was on his side.”

The situation underscores a troubling modern reality: in moments when people are most vulnerable, they’re often most exposed to cruelty. Bear spoke with the kind of clarity that comes from exhaustion and heartbreak. He acknowledged that while hateful comments don’t personally wound him, they can deeply affect others.“It’s not cool. Especially in light of everything going on,”he said. His plea, ultimately, wasn’t defensive—it was human. In the midst of waiting for answers about his brother, Bear was asking the world to simply be kinder.

Matt quietly exited Alaskan Bush People in 2019 after the show had aired since 2014. The family remains in contact with police and is holding onto hope that something unexpected might turn this nightmare around.