Matt Brown’s ex-girlfriend reportedly spent months trying to help him before the former Alaskan Bush People star died.
Sources close to the situation told TMZ that Brown’s ex-girlfriend tried repeatedly to get him to seek professional help as he struggled personally in the months before his death. The outlet reported that she believed Brown needed support beyond what their relationship could provide.
Page Six identified the ex-girlfriend as Jamie and reported that she remained committed to Brown’s well-being even after their breakup.
The update adds a painful human layer to Brown’s final weeks, but it also needs a clear boundary: sources stressed to TMZ that the breakup was not Jamie’s fault.
Sources Said Jamie Tried to Get Him Professional Support
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TMZ reported that people close to the situation said Jamie “did everything she could” to support Brown as he battled personal struggles.
The sources said she repeatedly urged him to seek professional help and felt she could no longer be his only source of strength during his darkest moments. Even after the relationship ended, she reportedly still cared deeply about him and hoped he could get the help he needed.
People close to Brown also described Jamie as a positive influence in his life. TMZ reported that some viewed her as “a blessing” during a difficult chapter and described her as sweet, quiet, patient, and extremely supportive.
That detail matters because Brown’s death has already been discussed through addiction, estrangement, grief, and a recent breakup. The new reporting points to someone who was trying to help, not someone who should be blamed.
Jamie Also Helped Push the Search Forward
Page Six reported that Jamie also played a role after Brown disappeared.
Family friend and search volunteer Chay Moore said Jamie pushed for swift action to find Brown after he went missing. Entertainment Weekly previously reported that Moore led the private search party that recovered Brown’s body from Washington’s Okanogan River, and that Brown’s girlfriend Jamie and his brother Noah were among those involved in the search.
Moore said the search party spotted Brown’s jacket in the river before recovering his body. He also described the recovery as emotional for those close to Brown.
That search detail gives Jamie’s role another dimension. According to the reporting, she had tried to support him before his death and was also part of the urgent effort to find him afterward.
Brown’s Cause of Death Was Confirmed by the Coroner
Brown’s death has been ruled a suicide.
People reported that the Okanogan County coroner’s office confirmed Brown died by suicide at age 42. His body was discovered in the Okanogan River on May 30.
The coroner’s findings also listed immersion in water and methamphetamine use as contributing factors, according to People. Those details help explain why the reporting around Brown has focused on both mental health and substance use.
His brother Bear Brown previously said Brown had struggled for a long time, while the family also mourned him as creative, intelligent, compassionate, and deeply loved.
His Final Days Included Several Struggles at Once
Page Six previously reported that Brown was dealing with several painful issues before his death, including the breakup with Jamie and frustration over a broken-down truck that limited his ability to travel.
That does not make any one issue the cause of his death. It shows that several stresses appeared to be happening at once.
Brown had also been open over the years about substance-abuse struggles. He left Alaskan Bush People in 2019 after appearing on the Discovery Channel series from 2014 to 2019, and later lived more privately while sharing some updates with followers online.
His family said in a tribute that they never lost hope that he could heal and find peace, according to TMZ. People also reported that the family remembered him as adventurous, creative, and full of dreams.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. In the U.S. and Canada, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. If you are outside the U.S., contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline in your country.