The Alaskan Bush People is one of TV's most polarizing shows. It's been heavily criticized and scrutinized, yet has managed to survive on TV for 11 seasons. The show follows an eight-person family as they strive to survive off the grid in the Alaskan wilderness, with each family member possessing a specific skill that serves the family's plight.

But it also has all of the elements for an entertaining reality show: a unique and strange family dynamic like the Osbourne's, family feuds, social issues, romance, and personal battles. We look at some of the fundamental dynamics that make the show so entertaining, and the burning questions raised by those who watch.

Mother Ami's Run-in With The Big C

Most reality shows try to create drama without any serious repercussions. But in Alaskan Bush People, nothing is off-limits. The matriarch in the family, Ami Brown, was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer in April 2017. She described it as a significant ordeal and called it a dark period.

But in January 2018, she was given the all-clear from cancer after the radiation and chemotherapy treatments. It was a pretty miraculous recovery, considering Ami was only given a 3% chance of survival. This is probably one of the reasons people didn't believe the cancer diagnosis to be accurate.

But Did She Really Have It?

Her joy didn't last long, though, as viewers soon started calling the miraculous recovery a farce. Some people took to social media and claimed the cancer scare was scripted to help boost ratings. They even went as far as saying the whole show was fake.

It eventually became so intense that Ami Brown's doctor came forward to squash the rumors. He released a statement confirming that she was indeed diagnosed with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer. He also disclosed details of her treatment and confirmed that she is now in remission, thanks to four months of chemotherapy and radiation.

Papa Brown Also Had A Scare

While Ami was dealing with cancer, her husband, Billy, was also struggling with his own health scare. The usually tough head of the family was struck down with an upper respiratory infection, which left him bedridden and in hospital. The claim was confirmed by his son, Bear (Solomon), via a now-deleted Instagram post.

Recently, Bear was again the bearer of news when he posted that his dad was in the hospital again. According to Soapdirt in September 2019, Bear revealed that his father was in the hospital and not in great shape at all. He also said that this time, the problem was with his heart and not his lungs.

Making Matters Even Worse

Besides her husband's illness and her own battle with cancer, Ami Brown also had to deal with the death of her mother, Earlene Branson in November 2018. What made it more difficult for her was that she and her mother, 85-years-old at the time of her death, were estranged from one another.

After her own life-threatening ordeal, it is said Ami felt aggrieved that she didn't have a chance to reconcile with her mother, who had been trying, for years, to make contact with Ami. According to Radar Online, a source told them that Ami wanted to reconcile with her mother, but it was too late for that.

Blaming Billy Brown For The Rift

It's unclear what led to Ami's estrangement from her mother, but according to her brother, Les Branson, it was all Billy's fault. Les Branson claims that everything went pear-shaped after Ami left home to be with Billy. Ami was 15, while Billy was 26 at the time.

According to Les, Billy started becoming very controlling with Ami almost immediately after they were married. He says Ami hardly ever spoke, and that Billy did most of the talking. She would often just sit beside him and smile and, Les reveals, now that he thinks back to it, it was almost as if Ami couldn't speak without Billy's permission.

Matt Brown And The Issue With The Bottle

While the parents have their fair share of issues, the children aren't immune to problems either. As a matter of fact, out of all six children, Matt Brown is probably the most troubled. According to reports, he has been in rehab three times for alcohol abuse.

Apparently, his alcohol problem came after the family left the wilderness, and he started socializing with city friends. He says he started drinking lightly, but the habit slowly took over to a point where he realized he had a problem. His first time in rehab was in the Spring of 2016.

Going Back For More

It proved tougher than he thought to kick his drinking problem, and in September 2018, he was back in the rehab, a stint that apparently lasted 30 days. And then, just two months later, he was back again in January 2019.

On the plus side, he was always aware that he had a problem. For instance, an alleged insider told Radar Online that he went on a bender and realized that he needed to do something about his actions. The source also said that the family was fully supportive of him and happy to see him focused on his recovery.

Matt Doing Better

That last stint seemed to do the trick, and in 2020 he received a sobriety coin marking his two-year anniversary of being sober. He posted a lengthy Instagram post stating that he was a broken man when he walked into rehab, but he took it one day at a time and achieved two years of sobriety.

He also said that not only did he get back out into the world again, but he also dealt with negative things that happened in his past, processing, and addressing them. Some of these were things he just couldn't get over and were what led him to drink as a coping mechanism.

Why This Rehab Stint Worked For Matt

He also pointed out some of the critical things that made his last stint in rehab really work. He pointed out that he still had his bad days, but he was better equipped to deal with them now, especially since he understands himself better now.

He reiterated that he was taking things one step at a time and thanked his fans for their support and for sticking by him when things got tough. Besides all of this, Matt also hasn't been on the show since his initial stint in rehab.

Matt Accidently Created A Fridge Bomb

Drinking isn't the only hazard Matt has faced in his life. As a matter of fact, there was one of his own makings, that nearly killed him. In May 2017, he stored a Mason jar of gunpowder and cannon fuse in his refrigerator.

Somehow the combustible products reacted to the cold conditions and exploded in his fridge. The explosion was so powerful that it blew the door off the refrigerator and left Matt in intensive care with a severe head injury. The injury was so bad that his scalp needed to be stapled closed.

The Aftermath of the Fridge Incident

Explaining what he was doing, Matt said his concoction was meant to be used as a bear repellent, saying that he took things a little too far with his amounts and trying to store it in the fridge. He also says that he only remembers bits and pieces regarding the incident.

One thing he remembers is grabbing a towel and the tape right after the explosion. He used the towel to stop the blood that was running down his face and used the tape to secure it in place. He also has a vague memory of the paramedics arriving and calls the experience a nightmare.

It Never Rains, But It Pours

While the eldest child was getting into trouble with "bear repellent," the youngest was dealing with teenage angst. Rain Brown, now 17 years old, shared about her struggles with depression on an Instagram post in October 2017. In the post, she described how she was physically affected by her mental issues.

She said she suffered from minor aches and pains and had been in bed for four days straight. She also said that what bothered her most was not being able to find a reason for the pain, and feeling listless and unmotivated. She ended on a positive note, though, telling her fans to stick to what they believe.

Looking At The Bright Side

She utilized this upbeat attitude in March 2018 after she unexpectedly lost her cat, Chipmunk, after he was run over by a car. She decided to look at the bright side of the situation, saying that at least she had the chance to say goodbye before the cat died.

In an Instagram post, she spoke about how people often don't get to say goodbye to the loved ones they lose in their lifetime. She then said that she was grateful for her chance to at least hold and pet her cat before he passed away.

Spreading Positivity To The Rest Of The World

With everything happening in the world, such as COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter Movement, Rain has resolved to try and share her positive vibes with the rest of the world. She has been sharing bible scripture and also preaching about the good everyone has inside of them.

She has adopted a zen perspective to life and recently took aim at the Black Lives Matter issue that has sparked again following a spike in police killings. She took a mature stance saying that everyone should stand together regardless of race, gender, status, or personal orientation.

Jabs, Stabs and Family Feuds

Like any family, the Browns have their feuds. The only difference is with them the disputes spill over into the public view. One such time was when Noah Brown decided to take a swipe at his younger sister Rain in a Facebook post.

In the post, he appears to be taking a swipe at Rain, claiming that she doesn't know the real struggles in life, saying that she can't take care of herself. He carries on saying that she just plays with toys and doesn't know the stress of being an adult.

Noah The Hopeless (at being) Romantic

Relationships aren't complicated in the Brown household. As a matter of fact, they pretty much happen unnoticed for everyone, that is, except Noah. He once went on a date with a model and actress and tried to serenade her with a song about his ex-girlfriend.

Apparently, the girl was planted by producers, but that didn't stop people from calling it the worst date on reality TV. But luckily, he eventually pulled himself together and found a woman he can now call his wife. Most people probably still keep an eye on this relationship, though, with Noah being so clumsy at love.

Noah And His Wife Have Had Enough

Funnily enough, Noah's wife's name is also Rhain (he has a sister named Rain), and it's reported that the couple has had their share of tension with his family, especially his younger sisters. Radar Online said that the couple had a blowout with Snowbird Brown, and this pushed them over the edge.

But it's not just Birdy's fault — the whole family was involved in the clash, and it's claimed that they also didn't leave the house on good terms. So they packed up their stuff and went to the $220,000 Colorado cottage his parents had recently bought them.

Mom And Dad Getting in The Way

Apparently, Ami and Billy Brown were also significant factors in Noah and Rhain deciding to leave the family. Supposedly, one of the reasons for their fallout with Noah's parents was that they were often critical of the couple's parenting skills, and were overbearing.

Another major issue was that Billy wanted the baby to be a part of the show while Noah didn't agree with him. Meanwhile, Ami also wanted to connect with baby Elijah, but in the process was stepping on Rhain's Toes and making her resentful. It's said that Noah could have just left for Colorado to take a breather from the family.

Papa Brown Still Taking Care of Noah

Remember how Noah and Rhain Brown left the family to move to Colorado because they needed to get away from the family show and the demands of Billy and Ami? What's ironic is that Noah's father, Billy Brown, actually owns the house they're living in.

Apparently, Noah and Rhain are living comfortably in their new home, and that's probably also thanks to the fact that they paid nothing for it. That's right, Billy Brown, who bought the property in 2017 as an asset, had transferred the deed to his son for $0. It's not been cleared, but perhaps this was a gift from the Brown elders.

Bam Bam Also Fed Up With Family

The middle child, Bam Bam Brown, has also hit the ceiling with his family's behavior. He has claimed that they don't give his partner Allison Kagan, the same level of respect they've shown the partners of his siblings.

It upset him mainly because unlike the "fame-hungry girls" his brothers dated, the family has known Kagan for a long time as a director on the show. The two don't have any plans to marry but describe themselves as soul mates. Allison hasn't featured in season 11 of Alaskan Bush People, which some say is because of Bam Bam's issues with their treatment of her.

Run-ins With The Law

Billy and Joshua "Bam Bam" Brown once had to spend 30 days in jail for falsifying information on applications to get money from Alaska's oil-wealth fund. This after they claimed to be residents of Alaska for the three year period between 2009 and 2012 to receive $2K from a dividend fund.

The problem is that they lived elsewhere at the time, and the applications were electronically filed from other states. Ami and three of the other children were also implicated in over 60 counts of first-degree unsworn falsification as well as first and second-degree theft connected to dividend applications.

Cutting A Deal To Save The Family

Bravely, Billy and Joshua decided to take the fall themselves, saving the rest of the family from time in jail. They cut a deal with the prosecutor, and both pleaded guilty to the misdemeanors for second-degree unsworn falsification. They were able to serve their sentence as house arrest.

They both received substantial fines as well as community service, and they can't apply for the dividend ever again. In the end, the other implicated family members didn't face charges, saving them from having to go through the ordeal of having a criminal record.

Matt Is Estranged

Matt Brown hasn't been on the show since his first stint in rehab in 2016. Most people thought it was due to his highly-publicized battle with addiction, and him wanting some time off. Others believe that he was fired from the show altogether.

But what's guaranteed is that Matt wasn't at his brother Gabe's vow renewal ceremony in June 2019. According to Radar Online, he is in an ongoing war with his father about his addiction, and Gabe seems to have taken dad's side. It's alleged that at the wedding, he mentioned every family member except Matt in his speech.

Friendships, Shotgun Weddings, and Buns In The Oven

Another one who struggles with romance is Bear Brown (Solomon). However, it seemed like he found his match when he met model Raiven Adams at Noah Brown's wedding in 2018. The couple appeared to be so in love that by July 2019, they announced their engagement.

But then it all turned sour, and they eventually called off the wedding with a statement saying that sometimes, people are better as friends. Then, just a day after the announcement, Adams revealed that she was pregnant. It was recently revealed that they were embroiled in a custody war, and in July 2020, Adams slammed Bear for sharing photos of the child.

Things Go Pear for Bear

It appears that things went very wrong in the "friendship" and co-parenting arrangement between Bear Brown and Raiven Adams. In February 2020, it was reported that Adams requested and received a protective order against Brown for domestic violence. She said that Bear had verbally abused her and brandished a gun in a threatening manner.

Adams gave birth to their son, River, on 9 March 2020, apparently without Bear present. Bear allegedly only found out about the birth two days afterward. Not long after, he filed for a paternity test, claiming it was so that he and Raiven could share equal parenting.

Drug Accusations and Angry Retorts

When Raiven got the protection order, she claimed that Bear's reaction was due to him using drugs, most notably cocaine. This all came to a head in July 2020 when Bear shared an Instagram post of a negative drug test he had done, proving that he wasn't using cocaine.

He vehemently defended himself in the post, making it clear that he doesn't do drugs and that Raiven was lying. He also claimed that she was being abusive towards him by spreading rumors about his behavior being erratic and shady. Raiven soon hit back, though.

Raiven Responds To Bear's Drug Test

Whatever Bear said seemed to have struck a nerve with Raiven as she jumped onto Instagram with a post slamming Bear for disrespecting her. She brandished him a low life and called him out for disrespecting her despite her taking care of their baby.

She then turned her attention to all men, saying that they need to open their eyes and notice that being a mother isn't easy. Her ire could be aimed at Bear calling her a liar, or it could be something said in private, but she doesn't make it clear what made her so irate.

The Brown We Don't Get To See

Before Billy Brown married Ami, he was in another marriage that bore a child. That child is Twila Byars. She is not a regular cast member on Alaskan Bush People, but she was on the show's call sheet for a cameo in 2016.

This was despite rumors that father and daughter had apparently not spoken to each other in 30 years. But according to Radar Online, they are not exactly or totally estranged, with a Brown family friend saying that they have been in contact occasionally over the last few years.

Twila Taking A Dig At The TV Family

Byars has distanced herself from her father's family show, and in 2019 made it loud and clear that she is happy where she is. In a Facebook post, she spoke about not being an average person and not conforming to the masses.

She continued saying she had always felt abnormal until she read something that made her realize she was actually the normal one, at least compared to the rest of her family. She then let out that it felt good for her to be normal. In 2018 she also wished her brother Bear on his birthday, saying that she isn't sure why they haven't spoken in a long time.

For Love Of Family, And Money

According to reports on Radar Online, Matt Brown returned to the show because he was in a bad way financially and needed to generate income. He was living on his own in California but asked to come back, which his father more than willingly agreed to.

The only condition was that he had to stay sober. But that was shortlived, with the agreement nullified after an alleged family argument. It's said they patched it up before shooting season 11 started, but Matt didn't appear in any of the episodes. He seems to be doing well, though, and started his own YouTube channel and being more active on social media.

Taking Flack for Being Scripted

Alaskan Bush People has always been marketed as an unscripted reality show, but the series has come under scrutiny for being a little too well set up. Of course, most reality shows are scripted to an extent, but Alaskan Bush People has received plenty of flack about the subject.

Billy Brown has vehemently denied these rumors, calling people who make them "bobs in the basement" because they sit behind computers all day and don't have a life. But other than this adamant denial, there is very little to stop people from believing the show is scripted.

Reason To believe It's Scripted

There is some pretty decent evidence to believe it's scripted and even fake. One of those reasons is the fact that the family says they don't use technology, but they use cars, and all of the children are on multiple social network platforms.

There were also rumors that the family was living in an Alaskan hotel between shooting and during Ami's battle with cancer. However, they lived in a swanky Los Angeles mansion. The show has also been shot in various locations, even though they claim to be living in one place.

They're Pretty Loaded for a Bush Family

Adding to these allegations, you'd think that living in the wilderness and fending for themselves would mean they don't have time, or indeed are too far from civilization to spend money. Yet the reality TV family is worth around $60 million, thanks mostly to the show.

Papa Billy Brown alone is worth $6 million, earning a reported estimate of $500,000 for the show. The rest of the kids are reportedly being paid between $40,000 to $60,000 each. Actually, according to reports, the Brown family's net worth is an impressive $60 million.