Cast members from the Discovery Channel's Alaskan Bush People have recently come under fire after revealing that Ami Brown was only 15-years-old at the time of her wedding to Billy.
Alaskan Bush People tells the story of a large family, the Browns, struggling to live off the land. The Browns have chosen to remove themselves from American culture, as well as from contact with the outside world. During isolation, the family developed their own accent and dialect. Originally, the children were raised in the wild of the Alaskan bush but have recently moved to Washington, where they built a private, self-contained village. Alaskan Bush People is said to be unscripted, however, viewers have recently begun to question the show's validity. When fans started to investigate the family's secrets, they came across the alarming truth behind Ami and Billy's marriage.
According to a Tarrant County, Texas marriage certificate, the two were wed on June 16, 1979. RadarOnline reports that Ami was just 15-years-old when the couple met and quickly tied the knot. Billy was 26 at the time, leaving an 11-year gap between the two. Four years later, Ami gave birth to their first child, Matt, at just 18-years-old. The couple went on to have seven children in total: five boys and two girls. While the logistics behind their marriage may be unconventional, the Browns stayed on the right side of the law. During the time of their marriage, a woman could be wed as young as 14 with parental consent in Texas.
Ami's mother gave permission for her daughter to marry Billy under one condition: she would remain in high school and finish her education. However, shortly after tying the knot, Ami abruptly cut all contact with her family. Ami's mother and brother accuse Billy of controlling her, claiming it was his idea that she drop out of school and lose contact with her family. When Ami's brother confronted Billy about the marriage conditions, Billy allegedly angrily told him, "That's none of your mother's business now. She belongs to me!"
Fans describe Ami as a quiet, dutiful, subservient wife. However, as the details of their marriage emerge, fans begin to wonder if this arrangement is enforced by Billy and if his intent is to keep Ami in her place. Despite the backlash, Ami has never publicly voiced a complaint about her marriage. Alaskan Bush People portrays their marriage as the epitome of a true love story. Ami and Billy appear as an older couple, still very smitten with each other.
Ami and Billy's controversial marriage may be on the right side of the law, but the Brown family is still in serious legal trouble. Billy and son Joshua, or 'Bam Bam', are facing jail time after claiming to be Alaskan citizens in order to receive government checks while living out of state. Fans will have to wait and see if the cast of Alaskan Bush People will pay for their secrets or continue to live their life in the wild.
Source: RadarOnline