Matt Brown of Discovery Channel’s Alaskan Bush People has been accused of violently raping two women back in July 2018 while heavily intoxicated, before ultimately checking into rehab.
The Sun reports that Matt’s first accuser, Jessica Jurges – a 35-year-old, one-time personal assistant to the Brown family – alleges Matt ripped off her swimsuit, grabbed her arms and raped her in a swimming pool as she tried to fight him off.
Jessica provided graphic details of the “terrifying” two-and-a-half hour assault, revealing she feared she would drown and screamed at Matt to get off of her multiple times. Jessica revealed she was ultimately saved by the person who would go on to become the second alleged victim of Matt’s – his then-manager, Shelly Dawn Early, 54 – who pulled Matt off of Jessica by his hair, allowing the former assistant to escape.
Alaskan Bush People’s Matt Brown accused of raping two women just days apart https://t.co/io3fTkRQVv
— The US Sun (@TheSunUS) September 16, 2020
Three days later, Shelly alleged Matt raped her in the same location in Canoga Park, Los Angeles. Both women reported the crimes to the LAPD’s Topanga Division, who launched an investigation and passed the case onto the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. The DA’s Office, however, declined to prosecute.
Matt has been absent from his family’s show since 2018 – around the time of the alleged rapes and when he was admitted to rehab (for the second time) for addiction problems.
Jessica told The Sun prior to her attack on July 8, 2018, Matt had started drinking vodka while she was drinking Hennessy and Matt eventually began persuading her to get in the pool.
“I’m terrified of water,” she said. “I can barely swim. So I do everything I can do to stay out of water. But Matt eventually persuaded me to get in and he was like a shark. He ripped my bathing suit off. Wouldn’t let go of me. I said no probably a million times.
“I was disgusted,” she continued. “I said everything nasty I could to him to get him off me and it wasn’t happening. He was a monster. I’ve been in situations, but that was the worst. I was like, ‘Is this what celebrities do? Is this really how they behave?’”
Jessica said the terrifying ordeal “seemed to go on for two-and-a-half hours” until Shelly recused her, though she revealed it took multiple attempts.
“She kept coming out. She kept coming outside and he kept telling her, ‘Go back inside, we’re fine,’” Jessica explained. “And I was like, ‘Oh no.’”
Jessica continued her account of the horrific experience, which she said at one point, involved Matt flipping her around in the corner of the pool.
“ … and all I could do was keep my legs closed and try everything I could to keep him off,” she said. “I’m watching the water rushing over the side of the pool. I’m in the corner. I just had to live through it. And he kept saying, ‘Take your glasses off.’ I was just thinking, ‘I’m dying. I don’t want you to see my eyes.’ I believe that’s a predator thing.”
After Shelly stepped in to save her, Jessica said the two women got out of the pool and reprimanded Matt, to which he “apologized and cried.” Three days later, Shelly said Matt raped her at the same house after he had once again been drinking heavily.
“He knew that I had a hip replacement and he knew that my legs aren’t as strong as the rest of my body,” Shelly said of the alleged attack. “And that’s how it happened. I couldn’t ward him off because my hips were weak. He was out-of-his-mind drunk. After it happened, he told me that I raped him – that’s how drunk he was.”
Shelly said Matt’s level of intoxication even caused him to mistake her Lyft for a police car, resulting in Matt telling the driver that Shelly had raped him. “He was just so wasted,” she said.
Shelly reportedly met Matt while she was homeless in Loomis, Washington and struggling with depression. She was eventually hired to manage Matt and to help him with his addiction issues as she has experience in that field.
Jessica, on the other hand, met Matt in 2017 while working for the production company behind ‘Alaskan Bush People,’ eventually working directly for the Brown family as an assistant. While working for the family, Jessica said she became very close to them and considered Matt a good friend – something she claimed made it difficult to process the alleged assault.
Following both incidents, Jessica and Shelly returned to the house to drop off Matt’s ID, cards and phone, which had been left with them following the alleged assault. The women filmed the visit for safety reasons, though Matt had already left the premises.
Jessica went on to reveal text conversations between herself and Matt’s brothers, Bear and Gabe, in which she detailed what had occurred.
“I tried to warn you! If I knew he was that bad though! I’d have killed him! No one disrespects a lady! That is unacceptable and he will pay,” Bear said in one of the alleged texts. “Also no part of any of what happened was your fault! Don’t blame yourself!”
In another conversation, Gabe apologized to Jessica for Matt’s behavior, noting that “all the excuses in the world can’t make up for his behavior.”
“ … He’s a jackass I’m so sorry he came into your life I wish you never met us,” Gabe allegedly wrote in another text. “We’ve done nothing but hurt you and I’m so sorry you don’t deserve that you’re an amazing person full of life and joy.
“ … He’s my big brother we’ve always been close but his behavior is not acceptable,” he continued.
Both women claim they are extremely disappointed with the police investigation, as well as the DA’s decision not to prosecute. Jessica went on to claim Matt’s absence from ‘Alaskan Bush People’ shows that he has something to hide. She also expressed her ill feelings towards a recent social media post of Matt’s, in which he stated his “life is wonderful” after seeking treatment over the past two years.
“He’s getting a peace that Shelly and I are never going to have,” she said. “It will never go away for us.”
A spokesperson for the Discovery Channel said in statement that the network was approached about the allegations several years ago and finds them disturbing and very serious.
“We agreed the local authorities should be contacted immediately,” the statement continued. “Due to the nature of the accusations we felt that all cooperation would be most appropriately handled by law enforcement.”
RELATED STORY: Season 12 Premiere of ‘Alaskan Bush People’ Shows Bear Brown Disappearing Days Before His Wedding to Raiven Adams
(Photos: Discovery Channel; Twitter; Instagram)
16 Responses
He obviously hasn’t finished the 12 Steps. “Making Amends” is a pretty damned bug one.
For anyone that needs to hear this: I believe you and it was NOT your fault. Nothing you did, drink, said or decided to wear meant consent.
Even when you would have twerked naked, no still means no. Your body is yours. Nobody is allowed to touch you when you didn’t consent to it.
Find help when you need it, you deserve it.
So… they went back to the house after they were violently raped??? Hmmm that doesn’t make sense.
Absolutely, shut the fuck up. If you’ve never been in the situation, then you don’t get to judge. But you do get to shut the absolute fuck up.
I know Bear meant well but considering he is apparently also a violent prick…I do believe Gabe though, he was always my fave and I’m sure the whole family knows this was wrong. Dafuq Matt?! Alcohol is no excuse to do that to a woman even if you are a lonely 30+ man…like what the hell?! These details are gruesome and no way someone could have made this up…Matt should be locked up…for life!
Why is this show still on TV?
“A spokesperson for the Discovery Channel said in statement that the network was approached about the allegations several years ago…”
Several years ago?! Didn’t this just happen two years ago? Wonder why DA did not pursue charges yet Discovery refused to keep filming Matt?
‘Declined to prosecute’….. no fucking wonder almost half of all rapes (including both of mine) go unreported to authorities. Not only do you have to relive the terror in minute detail to multiple cops (almost all male), and submit to humiliating and degrading physical examinations, then they decline to prosecute. Fucking disgusting. No wonder men continue to prey on women like they do.
THIS! YES! I just had this conversation with my boyfriend and explained that our relationship + my facebook posts would automatically, like, disuade anyone from prosecuting because they could use excuses like “she enjoyed it rough, just look at these posts”. He was disgusted by our justice system and very angry for women who have been treated like that.
I’m so sorry that happened to you.
Thank you. Thank God I can’t remember either one, the first one I was gang raped (or, as it was referred to back in 1999-2000, ‘had a train ran on me’) but I had taken like 4-5 2mg Ativan, with no tolerance, and drank half a 1/5 of Goldschlager. I remember bits and pieces, but not the actual assault. I remember one of the guys telling me to put my underwear back on. And to make things worse, (as if they could get worse) my 2 so-called friends who were with me at the house party that night did nothing to help me, (although they had taken as many pills as I had) and then went around and told people THAT I LET IT HAPPEN!!!! I was so hurt and fucked up from this happening, I started hanging out with a different crowd, that was into way stronger drugs… namely oxys, then eventually heroin. Sorry for the novel… I jist hate rapists!!
I’m so sorry that happened to you. Sincerely. That’s reprehensible.
OMG! I am so sorry to hear what you went through. But remember if you are too inebriated to consent then it is rape. And it was not your fault. You are not just a victim, you are a survivor! A strong woman. God bless.
This is one of the worst things that I have ever heard. I’m so sorry that this happened to you. No one deserves that.
To your original point, stories like this one going unprosecuted are exactly why I didn’t report my assault. He was “so perfect”, “has such a bright future”, and “any girl would be lucky to get someone like him”. I realized pretty quickly that it would be his word against mine and I wasn’t willing to undergo the character assassination.
Thank you ladies. We’re ALL survivors!! I was shocked to see the stats on how many women are actually the victims of sexual assault, especially on college campuses. When I went to visit my sister at WVU in the dorms, abd went to use the bathroom in the dorms, there was a piece of paper taped to the stall that said ‘1 in 4 of your friends will be sexually assaulted this year.’ This was 2001, don’t know if things have gotten better or worse for women on campus, because apparently at a lot of colleges, the school doesn’t like to get the real cops involved. My sisters BFF was raped at Duquesne, her rapists father was a very powerful man in Pittsburgh, and had many important friends in the police force and the DA’s officers. She was told this by the school when she wanted to press charges. She eventually declined, and had to switch her entire schedule around because he was in several of her classes, and constantly smirked at her. They couldn’t make him switch classes because he hadn’t been charged with anything. That made my blood boil. Poor girl was a virgin too before it happened. ?
THIS!! Exactly!! I never reported either of my rapes because the first I was underaged and scared, and the second the guy took my ID and made it known he had my home address. Jesus Christ.
I think it’s disgusting that he raped two women and the DA “declined to prosecute”. Meanwhile, he can go and find happiness while his victims are living with flashbacks of their rapes.