‘Alaskan Bush People’: Matt Brown Talks About Rehab, Denies He’s An Alcoholic
Rumors about the eldest Alaskan Bush People son have been circulating for months now. Back in December, Radar Online reported on the DUI arrest of 31-year-old Matt Brown in Juneau, Alaska. Then there were rumors about late night sightings of the Alaskan Bush People family member in Hoonah bars, followed by a report a few weeks ago that following a period of erratic behavior, Matt had checked himself into a rehab for alcohol abuse. Well now he has spoken with People. In the interview, the Alaskan Bush People star confirmed that he did spend some time in rehab recently, but denies that he’s an alcoholic.
Matt shared that he started drinking a few years ago when a boat that belonged to the Alaskan Bush People clan broke down, and the family began spending more time in Juneau. He made friends with people who drank which led him to drink more as well. When Brown saw himself beginning to make some bad decisions, he stopped drinking, but he took it up again about a year ago. Soon, rumors were circulating about his behavior at a time when the Alaskan Bush Family was dealing with several other issues, legal and otherwise.
#AlaskanBushPeople's Matt Brown reveals his rehab journey: "I could see myself spiraling" https://t.co/YzlW6DdVXM pic.twitter.com/xSqPzaNmPx
— People (@people) July 7, 2016
One of five sons in the Alaskan Bush Family, Matt began to see some changes in himself.
“I was more withdrawn. I was slower. Things didn’t excite me the way they used to.”
He noticed he was drinking more and more and feared he was “spiraling.”
“That’s when I saw the problem around the corner, and I didn’t want to be one of those guys.”
Admitting all this to his family was difficult for a couple of reasons. One is that the rest of the Alaskan Bush People clan don’t drink, so it felt like admitting that he was weak. And the Browns are very open with each other. They don’t keep secrets. But Matt had a secret, and that made him feel like “I was more of a bad guy.”
The first person Matt let in on his secret was the second youngest brother in the Alaskan Bush People family, Gabe. Matt decided to enter rehab, so everyone was going to have to know. He told Gabe first then spent a couple of days trying to get up the nerve to talk to Alaskan Bush People father and mother, Billy and Ami. Contrary to how he feared they may feel about his struggle and his decision, they were completely supportive and made their eldest son feel more confident that he was making the right decision.
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Matt left rehab after 35 days. He has decided to follow the decision of the rest of the Alaskan Bush People clan and remain sober, but says that he doesn’t believe he’s an alcoholic. He believes he could drink socially without a problem.
Will Discovery Channel talk about the Alaskan Bush People clan working through this? Will they show the two sons talking and then Matt sharing his decision with his parents? Will Discovery Channel have episodes of Alaskan Bush People in which cameras show the eldest son entering rehab? We’ll have to wait and see. In a recent episode, they did hint that Matt’s drinking and stint at rehab won’t be ignored.
In the Alaskan Bush People episode titled “Judgement Day,” Billy confronted his son, telling him that he looked rough and seemed to have something on his mind. Matt brushed it off and said it was nothing for him to worry about, but Billy didn’t completely buy it. Some are speculating that this scene was to lay the foundation in a future episode of Alaskan Bush People in which they deal with Matt’s drinking and rehab.
Alaskan Bush People airs on Discovery Channel on Friday nights at 9 p.m. ET.
[Image via Discovery Channel]
