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Rest in peace, Billy Brown.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Feb 09, 2021
Alaskan Bush People star Billy Brown, the patriarch of the hit Discovery show, died on Sunday, February 7, 2021. He was 68 years old.
In an Instagram post shared by his son, Bear Brown, it was revealed that the family was reeling over the death of the beloved patriarch.
"He was our best friend — a wonderful and loving dad, granddad and husband and he will be dearly missed. He lived his life on his terms, off the grid, and off the land and taught us to live like that as well. We plan to honor his legacy going forward, and to continue with his dream," he wrote on his private Instagram account.
How did Billy Brown die?
Find out how the sudden passing of the beloved reality star left the family — and their fans — heartbroken.
He died of a seizure.
In Bear Brown's Instagram post on his private page, it was revealed that his father died of a seizure.
"We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved patriarch Billy Brown passed away last night after suffering from a seizure," he said. "He was our best friend — a wonderful and loving dad, granddad, and husband and he will be dearly missed."
A statement was also released on the show's official Twitter page.
Though the ratings of Alaskan Bush People have waxed and waned over the years, the Brown family was still very much a staple on the network — and their show can be seen, in its entirety, on the new Discovery Plus streaming service.
So it's no surprise that the show's official Twitter page also released a statement in sympathy to the Brown family's plight on Twitter.
"We are devastated to hear of Billy Brown’s sudden passing. He has been part of the @Discovery family for years - a trailblazer, a lovely man, and most definitely one of a kind. Our heart is with his family and those that knew him as they deal with this devastating loss," they wrote.
The Brown family is no stranger to heartbreak.
Back in 2017, Ami Brown — the Brown family matriarch, fellow star of Alaskan Bush People, and now Billy Brown's widow — was diagnosed with lung cancer.
In response to this diagnosis, the family moved from their rural Alaskan home to a compound in Washington state so Ami Brown could receive her treatments.
Fortunately, she made a full recovery. "I was expecting great news — I could just feel it!" she told People back in 2018, when she got a clean bill of health.
Billy Brown also lost his entire family in a plane crash when he was a teenager.
According to TMZ, Billy Brown first experienced tragedy when he lost his entire family — his mother, father, and sister — in a plane crash when he was just 16 years old.
The family's old land in Alaska was demolished.
After living in Copper River Valley in the Alaskan bush for more than 30 years, the Brown family had to move to Washington state so Ami Brown could receive her cancer treatments.
But according to Variety, the Brown family compound in Alaska was subsequently raided, seized, and ultimately razed by the Alaskan government because it was "on the wrong location on public land."
The future of Alaskan Bush People is uncertain.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the filming of the Alaskan Bush People show moved from Copper River Valley, Alaska, to Washington state when Ami Brown started her cancer treatment regimen.
The show's 12th season, which concluded in October 2020, focused on the Brown family's escapades on the Washington state compound. But now that Billy Brown has died, the future of the show remains uncertain.
Our thoughts are with Billy Brown, and the Brown family, during this difficult time.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, photographer, and publicist whose work has been featured in People, Teen Vogue, BET, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more.