‘Alaskan Bush People’ Stunner: Show Was Fake From The Beginning

Despite all of the shady news about Alaskan Bush People lately, this isn’t exactly a “hit” piece. Sure, I’ve repeatedly posted articles that strongly suggest Alaskan Bush People is fake. I’ve even posted quite a bit of evidence that backs up this belief.

However, there are also things I didn’t quite address about the Discovery Channel series. Maybe because I recognized that even despite the “warning signs,” quite a few people adore and are emotionally invested in Alaskan Bush People.

Still, the time has come to face facts — to confront an unwanted truth that existed from the very first episode of this reality TV show: Alaskan Bush People was a fake wilderness drama this entire time.

Bear takes "all natural" to another level #AlaskanBushPeoplehttps://t.co/zesN6bnUf2

— Alaskan Bush People (@AlaskanBushPPL) June 7, 2016

What do I mean? Well, consider this rather damning article by Starcasm. It was written just as the Browns’ Alaska oil revenue fraud scandal was blowing up. In the article, a very interesting point is made about the very first season of Alaskan Bush People.

“The first thing to try to get to the bottom of is what the true story of the Brown family actually is. Billy Bryan Brown published a memoir titled One Wave At A Time in 2007.”

[…]

“If you click on the link to the Capital City Weekly article, you will notice it is titled ‘Alaskan family to be featured in documentary.’ I’m guessing that documentary turned into Alaskan Bush People. The wording of the article is particularly interesting:

‘The Browns are returning to Alaska in early May from a book signing and speaking engagement tour in the lower 48, to once again venture into the bush to re-create the journey described in the book.

Accompanied by a professional camera crew, they will be filming this 57-day journey for a TV documentary to be aired nationally and internationally in early 2009.'”

That actually explains quite a bit about Alaskan Bush People’s first season. For instance, why the show went from being about surviving in the bush to engaging in life on the open sea. It also explains why the Discovery Channel felt safe enough to film the family on a boat that later sank.

Instead of a one-season documentary, the Alaskan Bush People helped the network test the waters for future Alaskan reality TV shows. When the network realized how receptive the audience was, they brought the “Wolf Pack” back to television.

Here's your first look at the rest of this season of #AlaskanBushPeople https://t.co/X5zr1Uf6h2

— Alaskan Bush People (@AlaskanBushPPL) June 6, 2016

Flash forward a few seasons, and Alaskan Bush People is no longer trusted as an honest representation of Alaska or life in the Alaskan bush. Alaskans repeatedly call the show out as fake. Online news sites (this one included) continuously point to pre-show evidence that the Browns weren’t raised “wild.”

Of course, much of this is common sense observation. People raised in the bush with no access to technology or internet wouldn’t be plugging a book on the Internet.

Moreover, there are individuals who know the Browns intimately; people who can say for certain that the family’s version of wilderness survival has never been real. Enter Heather Bagayas, an ex-girlfriend of Alaskan Bush People’s Matt Brown.

During her exclusive interview with Reality TV Scandals, Heather flat-out stated that the Brown family she knew hardly resembled the one seen on TV each week.

“I then ask Heather why she thinks the Browns are lying about their lifestyle or does she think it’s Discovery?

Heather: I can’t answer that because I don’t know, it was a surprise to me too. I think maybe they [Discovery] just wanted to make the show more entertaining. I think maybe Discovery just wanted to make a really good show? And the Browns wanted to be set for life. I did see Matt and he did say he wanted to be set and move to Hollywood in a studio apartment and become an actor.. so.. [laughs]

Q. So let me ask you: Have you ever known the Brown Family to live wild?

Heather: [laughs] no.

I then get in to how the family lied about not knowing what an iPhone is or having Social Media accounts and Heather again said, ‘I know, that’s so weird because it’s not true’ as she laughed.”

So there you have it. Alaskan Bush People is a made-up recreation of a series of events featured in an alleged autobiography by patriarch Billy Brown. It was never real, and possibly never seriously intended to be real.

With all this info floating around the internet, it might be best if the Discovery Channel came out with a disclaimer, or simply repackaged Alaskan Bush People as fictional entertainment.

[Image via Discovery Channel]