‘Sister Wives’ star Garrison Brown’s sister Madison details his mental health struggles before suicide: ‘It wasn’t a lack of love’
“Sister Wives” star Garrison Brown’s sister Madison Brown is shedding light on her late brother’s struggles with his mental health two weeks after he died by suicide.
“Mental health is so important, and I don’t think we talk about it enough, and I don’t think we do enough to bring awareness,” Madison, 28, said in a teary-eyed video posted to Instagram Monday.
Madison clarified that Garrison had not been bullied and “it wasn’t a lack of love” that led to his death.
“It was mental health, and I am going to continue talking about mental health and self-love until I’m blue in the face because I don’t think it’s talked about enough in a way that people understand it,” she said.
Madison also shared that losing her brother has taught her “time is precious.”
“If you’re not happy with how you’re spending your time and you don’t feel fulfilled in life, then I would encourage you to reevaluate because it’s so fleeting and it’s so precious and I noticed that, especially these last two weeks, with having kids, too, social media is not real.”
Madison said she will be “pushing really hard” to be more authentic on Instagram because social media is not a true reflection of a person’s life.
“I’m done with filters,” she said, later adding, “It’s a highlight reel, and that was something that Garrison and I talked about, and I know my other siblings and my mom had expressed this, that Garrison used to feel like he wasn’t doing enough because he was comparing himself to things on social media, and I don’t think that it’s real, and I think we need to remember that.”
She urged her followers to remind themselves if they are ever “feeling down” that Instagram does not show all the parts of someone’s life.
Madison also learned that there is value in a strong community and loving those around you — even if you have “differences.”
“I’ve had a phenomenal community show up, and also my siblings, we all disagree, we’re all very strongly opinionated people, and we have disagreements,” she said.
But Madison shared that her family has showed up for and loved one another even “in this time” and with their “differences.”
“So if you’re struggling with community, I would encourage you to get out and talk to people and get away from your screens, and social media’s not real, and get community with your family, your friends, your loved ones,” she reiterated.
Madison started and ended her emotional video by thanking her Instagram followers for sending so many supportive messages to her after Garrison’s death.
“Thank you for the outpouring of love that we’ve had,” she said. “I have received probably thousands of messages from you guys just saying condolences, talking about your experiences with suicide, and just love, and I wanted to say thank you for that because I maybe didn’t respond, but I read them, and a lot of you had experienced something like this, so it’s crazy how many people it touches.”
Madison acknowledged that the first week after Garrison’s death was “horrible,” but she wanted to go on Instagram because she “loves” the platform and wanted to share what she has learned during this dark time.
“I know social media can be controversial, but Instagram is my platform. It’s one that I have babied. It’s one that I’ve cultivated my following,” she explained. “I love connecting with you guys, so I wanted to get back to normalcy here.”
Madison explained in the caption of her post that it feels “surreal” to move forward with life after such a traumatic event.
“I shared with a friend, who has also been intimately touched by the tragedy of suicide, how surreal it feels to step back into the rhythm of ‘normal life’ — observing others engaged in their everyday routines while my mind remains consumed with thoughts of Garrison,” she wrote. “She acknowledged that the shadow of such a loss lingers for months.”
She continued, “Though I am not naive to the fact of returning to what once was ‘normal’ wont be happening. I find myself prepared to start getting back into this new normalcy.”
Garrison tragically died on March 5 at the age of 25. His brother Gabriel Brown reportedly found Garrison dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Arizona home.
Later that day, Garrison’s parents, Janelle Brown and Kody Brown, confirmed the news with a heartbreaking joint statement on Instagram.
“Kody and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful boy Robert Garrison Brown,” the former couple shared alongside photos of their late son.
“He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him. His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away.”
The cat-loving reality star, who had appeared on the TLC series since 2010, was laid to rest on March 10.
The show focuses on the polygamous lifestyle of his father, who was married to Janelle — along with Christine Brown, Meri Brown and Robyn Brown — until their breakup in 2022 after 32 years together.
The exes shared six children together: sons Logan, Hunter, Garrison and Gabriel and daughters Madison and Savanah.
Kody has a total of 18 children with four different women, though he has split from all of his wives, with the exception of Robyn Brown.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
