Is ‘Alaskan Bush People’ Real?

Is Alaskan Bush People real – some people doubt that the Brown family is really as they seem on their Discovery Channel show. Here’s what we found in our research about them and whether the reality we’re shown is real or not…

Is Alaskan Bush People Real?

Discovery launched Billy Brown and his family into reality TV fame in 2014. Back then, they lived in Browntown up in Alaska, much different from their lives on the mountain in Washington state where they live now.

In 2007, years before their launch on TV, patriarch Billy Brown wrote a book called One Wave at a Time. In the book, he describes how he was “orphaned at sixteen” and “fought to survive in the wilderness of Alaska, while running from the emptiness left by his childhood loss”.

Reportedly, Billy and the other Browns came down to the lower 48 to shop the book to TV networks. The same Juneau newspaper said that Brown landed a deal and came back with cameras to Alaska to “recreate the journey described in the book”. That turned into Alaskan Bush People eventually.

That turned from a documentary into a series. But by then, they weren’t even living in the northernmost state. However, the series shows them there. But the state of Alaska disagrees that they were still residents there. Billy Brown and Bam Bam Brown were charged in court with PFD (Permanent Fund Dividend) fraud.

These are payments of around $1k a year that Alaskan residents get for petroleum rights. They initially pled guilty to the charge they took $20k of payments from 2010-2013, for which they weren’t eligible. So, if the state doesn’t think they’re Alaskan Bush People, should the viewers?

Billy Brown’s Cabin Burning Tale – True or Pants-on-Fire Lie?

As ABP kicked off its first season, Billy claimed that the US government “burned their cabin down.” But later, the family patriarch admitted that he wasn’t home when the cabin burned. Others allege that he’d improperly built a cabin on public lands, where it’s not legal to erect a residence.

Channel Guide Magazine questioned if the cabin was ever where they lived. They question how long between the alleged burning and when the family moved North, followed by Discovery Channel cameras.

CGM even asked, “Was there even a fire at all, or was it just devised to create a premise” for the family’s “race against time and the elements” to build a new home before winter set in on them? So, was this all a set-up for reality TV Alaskan Bush People drama or a real incident?

Anchorage Newspaper Calls Out Alaskan Bush People Facts – “Digging for Reality”

Another newspaper in their home state called out claims that the ABP clan was under fire from persons unknown. Back on Season 1, Episode 4, the Discovery channel offered this disclaimer: “During production, an incident occurred and filming was stopped.”

The Browns revealed they had to run from their property in an episode called Fight or Flight, claiming danger. They showed a scene where the Brown males rushed out armed after hearing gunshots, allegedly. But things like this make people ask — is Alaskan Bush People real?

Billy said on that episode after the alleged gunfire incident that “this land is not worth dying for”. So, he packed up all their kids and Ami Brown and headed to live on the boat in Ketchikan.

The local paper, Anchorage Daily News, investigated and said no one affiliated with the Browns or the show called the police.

The only incident they could confirm was the nearby neighbors were annoyed with the vehicles and helicopter filming the family. And one of them shot at a firework at the chopper taping scenes. But if they were deep in the bush, why are their neighbors?

Alaskan Bush People Had Nearby Neighbors and Pizza

Also lending credence to doubts about the reality of this reality show is the whole issue of whether they ever lived in the bush. If not, are they still Alaskan Bush People? They lived on five acres that the Anchorage newspaper refers to as “the so-called Alaskan wilderness.”

Why did the media outlet throw shade at the Browns? They found that Billy Brown and his family lived in a subdivision – not the remote wilderness. In describing the homesite, the paper says it “sits in a subdivision less than 10 miles south of Copper Center, easily accessible from a dirt road just off the highway.”

They also said there’s a pizza joint just one-half mile from the Browns’ former home. The conclusion was that area is wild, with bears and other hazards, but “by no means wilderness.” Their next-door neighbor hails from Albany, New York and found the production crew’s presence an annoyance.

Jason Hoke told the newspaper that vehicles sped up and down the road where he also lived. And there was constant noise from the Alaskan Bush People filming set. He did admit he was the one that set off fireworks, though, because the helicopter kept buzzing noisily over their house at dinner time.

He said the filming chopper hovered so close that it shook the entire house and made his four-year-old son cry. The FAA later charged him a $300 fine for the incident. The helicopter pilot claims they weren’t so low that the rotors would shake Hoke’s house.

Browntown Also Not Really Theirs Says Source

You may also recall the infamous Browntown compound on Alaskan Bush People. Brown claimed they owned the land, and it was their home. He said they had a special permit from the Tongass National Forest for the house and several shanties there.

But a source said that property is public land and can be used under permit, but only for certain uses. Instead, this person said that the Browns were leasing some land owned by the local mayor in Hoonah for filming. Also, the family reportedly lives in hotels when not filming.

Locals in Alaska hinted it when they filmed there. And also, in the state of Washington, where they now film Alaskan Bush People. And it’s clear to see from the Brown offspring’s social media posts that they’re staying off the mountain for much of the year.

There are also allegations that an actress played the part of a potential girlfriend for Noah Brown. Another site alleged that the show tricked a girl into a phone call with Gabe Brown under the premise that it was for a dating show, not a wilderness “reality” show.

In the end, TV is for entertainment. So, if you enjoy seeing their antics, then it might not matter to you whether it’s real, scripted, or somewhere in between. For now, watch for the premiere of Season 14 on the Discovery Channel on October 2, where the family muddles on after the death of their beloved Billy Brown.

Is Alaskan Bush People real? Maybe. Maybe not. Look for more news and updates on the family and their show here at Soap Dirt.