Sister Wives’ Garrison Brown Commits Suicide
A Beautiful Life Taken by Tragic Circumstance
I was taken aback this week when I learned about the suicide of Garrison Brown. Garrison, the son of Kody and Janelle Brown and a familiar face to fans of the show Sister Wives, tragically took his own life this past week, leaving behind a cryptic message and a family in unimaginable grief.
Growing up on television, Garrison’s life was far from private. From the age of 10, his adolescence and entry into adulthood were broadcast for the world to see, portraying an image of polygamous family life that, as we’ve come to realize, glossed over the reality faced by the children of the Brown family in favor of a glorified storyline made to earn ratings. The reality that emerged over the years painted a starkly different picture — one of hardship, neglect, and a struggle for identity and independence against the backdrop of their parents’ controversial lifestyle choices.
The recent unravelling of the Sister Wives family, as the facade of unity and happiness crumbled, brought to light the deep-seated issues within the family dynamics. Stories of neglect, abuse, and ideological indoctrination began to surface, shared by the children who experienced them firsthand. Garrison, though less vocal about his personal struggles, had sought his own path, distancing himself from the family drama by joining the National Guard and exploring the world through his passion for photography and travel.
His heartbreaking suicide sheds light on the silent battles he fought — struggles with alcoholism, possibly depression, and the scars left by a childhood spent under the scrutiny of the public eye and the oppressive expectations of his deeply toxic family dynamic. The concerns for his mental well-being, expressed by his mother and echoed in the actions of his brother Gabriel, who discovered him, underscore the profound impact of his upbringing on his psychological health.
Garrison’s story is a heartbreaking reminder of the human cost of reality television, the exploitation of personal lives for entertainment, and the complex realities hidden by extreme religious indoctrination on developing minds. As we mourn his loss, we also celebrate the person he was — a kind, empathetic soul with a love for life and an incredible talent for capturing the beauty of the world through his photography. His legacy, reflected in the memories shared by his loved ones and the images he leaves behind, offers a glimpse into the depth of his character and the sensitivity with which he viewed the world. He was the antithesis of his father’s mistakes, something truly admirable.
In the wake of this tragedy, my thoughts are with Garrison’s family, especially his brother Gabriel and his mother Janelle, as they navigate this devastating time. The loss of Garrison is a stark reminder of the importance of mental health awareness, the need for support and understanding, and the imperative to look beyond the surface of portrayed lives to the complex human experiences beneath.
May Garrison Brown rest in peace, remembered not for the drama that surrounded him (that his parents caused), but for the gentle, creative spirit he was.
*If you would like to view his photography, his Instagram is still live as of March 9th, 2024. View here >
*Kody was unable to drive himself to be with his children and ex-wife after learning about Garrison’s suicide due to unwillingness to pay speeding tickets, causing his license to be fully suspended in the state of Arizona. While he will drive to work, to Las Vegas to visit his brother’s, and more with the suspended license, it was Gabriel who was forced to go and pick up Kody after he found his brother dead.