Alaskan Bush People has been a hit on The Discovery Channel for years.
Viewers are simply taken with a family that lives essentially off the grid, relying on one another for food, shelter and other basic life items.
Amidst new outcries over the show being fake, however, here’s a rundown of a few facts, tidbits and stories about the Browns that this family may not want you to know…
The Show is Based on a Book
Billy Brown published “One Wave at a Time” in 2007, after which his family spoke to many producers, negotating for the book to be made into a show. According to Capital City Weekly, the Browns returned to Alaska with a production crew “to recreate the journey described in the book.”
From One Season to… Who Knows?
Meant to be a one-season-only documentary, Alaskan Bush People was repackaged into an ongoing series. Which doesn’t mean the whole thing was fake… but it does mean the family plotted all along for their adventures to be documented on television.
They May Have Lied About Their Cabin
During the first season, Billy said the government burned down his family’s cabin because it was “in the wrong location on public land.” But there’s no evidence this happened and Brown changed his tune on season two, simply saying the cabin burned down when he wasn’t home.
About That Isolation?
Neighbors actually complained to the Alaska Dispatch-News about the production of the Browns during season one, that’s how close by they were, while the family’s supposedly remote compound was down the street from a pizza restaurant.
Was It Ever Really BROWNtown?
According to a former employee of the U.S. Forest Service, the Browns didn’t actually own Browntown. They were leasing it via a special-use permit. “They have a 7 year lease on the PRIVATE land; which is, in fact, owned by relatives of the mayor of Hoonah,†writes an Internet user named Tim as a comment on a Channel Guide Mag article.
Remember Chichagof Island?
At one point, the Browns relocated to Chichagof Island, which The Discovery Channel described as “deeper into the wilderness.” However, Chichagof Island is actually a popular destination spot that can be found on the marketing site Travel Alaska and it boasts “the world’s largest and highest zip line,” as well as “a museum, local arts and crafts shops, restaurants and a mid-1930’s cannery line display.”
Where Do They Actually Live?
Users of the Facebook group Alaskan Bush People Exposed have said the Browns area actually flown in and out to Browntown.” Moreover, when they’re not shooting scenes for the show at Browntown, which is apparently the only thing the site is used for, they’re cozied up at the Icy Strait Lodge in Hoonah.
Noah’s Hot, Fake Date
Remember when Noah Brown brought home a girlfriend named Karryna L. Kauffman on Season 5? She works as an actress. Could she still have fallen for Noah? Sure. But could she also have been hired by producers? Yes.
Before They Were the “Alaskan Bush People”
They were the self-proclaimed “”The Alaskan Wilderness Family.” They even had their own website.
LIARS!
CNN once reported that the Browns pleaded guilty to lying on their Permanent Fund Dividend forms, a program that allows Alaskan residents to collect annual funding from the state. According to the Juneau Empire: “The stars of the reality TV show Alaskan Bush People admitted to lying about their Alaska residency and absences from the state on their Permanent Fund Dividend applications from 2010 through 2013.
They Vacationed in Maui!
And they did so to avoid seeing the mother from whom Ami is estranged. So much for living off the grid, huh?
Remember Sabrina, the Supposed Family Cow?
Hans Wolfisberg, the owner of Edelweiss Dairy, says Sabrina was transferred directly to the family property … at which time his daughter “stayed with the family and crew to teach them how to properly care for the prize-winning cow.” Also, Wolfisberg said: “After moving to Alaska, Sabrina would stay with the Brown family for a month while video footage was shot, before being adopted by an Alaskan local to live out the remainder of her life.”
What Happened to Bam Bam?
He’s living with his girlfriend… on a yacht! Click the above headline to learn more.