Discovery Channel's Alaskan Bush People patriarch Billy Brown is at the heart of the off-the-grid docuseries. As always, Billy Brown is leading the way for his wild family, as they've ventured into the State of Washington for Alaskan Bush People season 12. However, his questionable health following a recent respiratory emergency has left many fans wondering if he'll bring the show to an end. While he is ailing, Billy Brown has led an action-packed life, even before raising seven children on the Alaskan frontier.
Billy Brown is currently 66 and was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1952. He was raised in a comfortable upper-middle-class suburb and had a childhood very different from the childhoods of his own kids. A series of tragic events ultimately led Billy Brown to the Alaskan bush. Tragedy struck when he was only 16 years old. His mother, father, and sister died in a plane crash.
According to The Sun, Billy has claimed that he was coerced into being emancipated from his family, which ultimately meant that he gave up his rights to the family fortune. Billy wound up wandering the country during his teenage years, before settling into a career as a commercial fisherman in the North Pacific. Later, he married his wife Ami, and they've had five sons and two daughters. Billy led his family to the Alaskan wild but not without some trouble. In 1980, Billy Brown was charged with horse theft. More legal problems ensued when Billy and his family were charged with living outside of Alaska and lying about it. Billy had to put together a plea deal.
Since the conception of the reality TV series (12 seasons have followed), Billy Brown and his family have amassed a $60 million fortune. Billy's net worth is around $6 million. These changes have altered the wolf-pack dynamic that fans have latched onto over the course of the series' run.
Billy Brown's wife Ami Brown was diagnosed with lung cancer and the family relocated from Alaska to California so she could be treated at the UCLA Medical Center. While the move was about getting Ami the best care possible, many gave Billy Brown flack for buying a multi-million dollar property in swanky Beverly Hills. Brown has been adamant about the fact that he was only trying to help his wife. Since then, Billy has faced a respiratory emergency that forced him to make another major move with the family.
After returning to Alaska, Billy's son Bear Brown shared the news that his father had a respiratory emergency. This has prompted the family to move to Washington. Alaskan Bush People season 12 takes place on their remote mountain property. Just as the new season premiered, Bear shared the news online that his family home had burned down in the 2020 Washington Wildfire. Only time will tell where producers and the family decide to take the Alaskan Bush People series next.
Sources: The Sun, Discovery Go