A few days ago, we reported that there are rumors that Alaskan Bush People is filming without Ami Brown.
It now looks like, despite the rigors of chemotherapy and her fight against lung cancer, Ami Brown may have joined her family in Colorado.
But evidence of her arrival is stirring up a new controversy, and Billy Bush is getting slammed by fans of the show.
Up until the beginning of this week, the Brown family was living large in a Beverly Hills mansion that was seemingly at odds with their outdoorsy, post-apocalyptic lifestyle that we’ve seen from them on camera.
They can afford the $ 2.7 million home because, well, they’ve been doing a reality series for seven seasons.
It’s long been suspected that their lifestyle didn’t match what viewers saw on screen.
Little discrepancies, plus the presence of various Browns on social media, clued in viewers to the fact that the show isn’t as authentic as people like to imagine.
But you know, that’s fine. It’s a reality series, not a documentary.
And living in that mansion puts the family close to a hospital where Ami can undergo treatments for her stage 4 lung cancer.
It also means that Ami can live in relative comfort, surrounded by her family.
(Most of them, anyway)
And, though Alaskan Bush People wouldn’t be the same without Ami, we did understand why her relatives might go ahead with filming Season 8 while Ami still recovers.
Except that Ami might not be out of the picture, yet.
Alaskan Bush People: Exposed is a non-fan-page where fans and non-fans alike can see updates on the family.
Sometimes they report insider information — we don’t know their source, but they’ve often proven to be accurate.
Fans who take selfies with the Browns, usually at random retail outlets in the western portion of the US, also clue in the page, which then posts those photos.
Often with a huge watermark, as you can see in the screencap above.
In that image, you see Ami in a wheelchair that is being pushed by Billy, purportedly in Colorado.
This would lead us to believe that Ami Brown is, in fact, in Colorado to film with her family.
Is Alaskan Bush People‘s hiatus finally over?
However, eagle-eyed fans spotted a little detail about this photo.
And suffice it to say that it ignited a firestorm.
Take a look at that photo, and at Billy Brown’s pocket. Notice that red box there?
Fans were quick to point out that it looks like Billy is carrying a carton of smokes, on display for everyone to see.
The hypocrisy of continuing to smoke while his wife is very probably dying of lung cancer did not escape commenters.
“Pack of smokes in billy’s pocket that’s real nice.”
Smoking is a notorious cause of lung cancer, though not the only cause.
“Look closely. Do you deny that there is a pack of Marlboro cigarettes in Billy’s pocket? Do you know that Billy’s wife has Stage 4 lung cancer? Do you understand the absurdity and hypocrisy of this photo?”
The Brown family is pretty familiar with accusations of hypocrisy, but this is a bit more serious than sleeping in a hotel room while pretending that you live in the woods.
“Nice pack of smokes in Billy’s pocket there. Stage 4 lung cancer and they can’t stop. No sympathy. My mom was a 3 pack a dayer until COPD set in. Quit cold turkey. I’ve never smoked because of it. … I am sorry she has cancer, even more sorry she lives with assholes, but karma is a real bitch.”
We don’t know that “karma” is the right word. Ami doesn’t deserve lung cancer, surely. But it’s understandably distressing to many fans to see that Billy hasn’t changed his habits.
“If this family found a way to make money kudos to them. Sorry Ami is ill but the lung cancer sure is explained in his shirt pocket. 2nd hand smoke.”
It was pointed out to this commenter that Ami Brown was a two-pack-a-day smoker.
Others kept their comments short but firm:
“He needs to stop smoking.”
It is worth noting that Alaskan Bush People: Exposed says that Ami is actually going to go back to L.A. to finish this latest round of chemo.
The family hasn’t announced anything one way or the other, but … is it possible that Ami is just going back and forth between Colorado and L.A?
Could that possibly be good for her? In her condition?
The only thing worse for her than flying constantly and being around a chronic smoker, at this point, would be roughing it in a Colorado winter while her body is especially vulnerable.
We hope that the Brown family clears up any misconceptions and soon.
Still, Ami and Billy’s youngest, Rain Brown, doesn’t know if her mom will make it.
Doesn’t Billy owe it to his family to make sure that he, at least, will still be around for them for years to come?
