Alaskan Bush People: Inside The Lawsuit After Billy Brown's Death
Although the patriarch of the Brown family, who starred in "Alaskan Bush People" on the Discovery Channel, died in February of a seizure, his family is still feeling the effects of his death. As The Sun reported, there was no will found, so Billy Brown's wife, Ami Brown, took charge of the estate, which was estimated to be worth $412,000 after the deduction of his medical expenses. The estate's worth included valuation of the family's extensive property, as well as the value placed on furniture and livestock. However, the estate seems to be in a bit of trouble.
In April, a doctor from Tennessee, Robert Maughon, filed suit against Billy's estate, as well as against his Alaskan Wilderness Family Productions (the company in charge of the family's show and book publications), The Sun reported. Maughon alleged that Billy and Alaskan Wilderness Family Productions are in breach of contract, as he stated he and Billy entered into two contracts that detailed a percentage of profits owed in exchange for a singular sum of investment. According to The Sun, Maughon claimed he invested $20,000 for 10% of the income earned by any books Billy wrote for 10 years, and then entered into a second contract, which Maughon alleged was an agreement for 10% "of the gross income of Alaska Wilderness Family Productions from the creative works of Billy Bryan Brown" for a lifetime.
However, Ami seems to be keen on fighting the lawsuit though. Keep scrolling to find out more.
Ami Brown has fought the lawsuit
The suit against Billy Brown's estate was filed in April, per The Sun, but the process seems to be slow in progressing. Just recently, Ami Brown, Billy's widow, filed papers to change her current lawyer. Originally, she had hired Dale L. Crandall from North Cascades Law Group, but has now changed to a different lawyer from the same Washington-based group. According to The Sun, Ami's current lawyer, Robert M. Schiesser specializes specifically in "civil litigation in business" and also has experience in probate, which may be helpful when dealing with a situation that involves the estate of a deceased.
This change in representation comes as Ami is waiting for a decision from a judge regarding the existence of the suit in general. On behalf of the estate, she also filed suit to dismiss Robert Maughon's claims, stating that the federal court, where the initial suit was filed, does not have proper jurisdiction to hear or rule on the situation. Instead, the estate wants the state court to rule, because it is currently under probate court. As the profits are directly associated with the estate, Ami and her lawyer seem to want to bundle the whole situation together. Maughon has asked for the decision not to be made until he has been able to fully state his case.
The Brown family has faced even more struggles
Amid the lawsuit and the death of their patriarch, Billy Brown, the rest of the Brown family faced yet another trying situation: their property had been caught in the wildfires that ravaged the part of Washington state where they now made their home. Per The Sun, Bear Brown, Billy and Ami Brown's third son, allegedly posted on his private Instagram account that the family suffered a "devastating" loss as a result of the wildfire, but also shared that all of the family was safe. A representative for the family appeared to confirm that the loss was "great," but details of the destruction have not yet been shared with the public.
That storyline, as well as the one about Billy's passing, will be the focus of Season 13 of "Alaskan Bush People," premiering on Discovery September 19. The family has said, via Discovery, that they will be dedicating this season to Billy, and the episodes will focus on the family dealing with loss, both from the wildfire and of their patriarch. Fans will most likely need to stay tuned to all things "Alaskan Bush People" to see how this lawsuit will progress, though it appears that — if Ami has anything to say about it — it will be a long, drawn-out fight to protect Billy's estate and legacy.