Sister Wives

Garrison Brown was negatively affected by social media before his death -- and it impacted his own sense of self-worth ... this according to one of his siblings.

The "Sister Wives" star's actual sister, Madison Brown Brush, hopped online to post an emotional video reflecting on her brother's untimely passing -- and she spoke a lot about his mental health struggles, while also acknowledging pointing to mental health convos at large.

Maddie explains her brother was battling issues internally -- and even says he felt he wasn't doing enough with his life ... using social media as a comparison point.

She also says something pretty poignant ... namely, social media isn't real.

Maddie goes on to explain how she and the rest of the family have been dealing with Garrison's suicide -- describing how difficult it's been finding a new sense of normal.

She urged her followers to remember that social media is just a snapshot into someone's life -- it doesn't show everything. Remember, Garrison's loved ones say he seemed perfectly happy online ... having just adopted a new cat days before he died by suicide.

Maddie goes on to say that she's going to continue putting a spotlight on mental health ... and sends a message to people who might be battling demons -- telling them that if they're not feeling fulfilled with how they're spending their time, they gotta change that ASAP.

We broke the story ... Garrison was found deceased in his Flagstaff, Arizona home earlier in March. Flagstaff PD told us that no foul play is suspected, as Garrison appeared to have suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

He was only 25.

Garrison Brown's legacy as a cat dad will never be forgotten, as "Sister Wives" fans give buckets of money to the cause near and dear to the late TLC personality ... TMZ has learned.

Liz Olson of High Country Humane tells TMZ ... people from all over the world have donated to the animal shelter in the week since Garrison died by suicide. The cat org received donations totaling more than $13K ... and counting!

She confirms she's the one who alerted Garrison's mother, Janelle Brown, to the outpouring of support ... and then, Janelle shared her emotional reaction this week to that uplifting news.

Garrison and High Country Humane knew each other well -- Liz tells us he adopted 3 of his cats -- including new addition Ms. Buttons -- from the shelter in the last 2 years.

In response to the generosity displayed by Garrison's followers, HCH has launched an initiative in his name that will help cats get adopted throughout the month of March.

Specifically, the money will cover adoption fees for any of the cats rescued during this effort.

The tributes don't stop there ... Liz tells us the org also plans to rename its cat adoption room in his honor. There will be a plaque unveiling and everything at their 5-year anniversary celebration this month.

Ark Cat Sanctuary is also getting monetary support after Garrison's passing. Cat Roberts, yes that's really her name, tells TMZ ... the org's  received more than $500 in donations from people all over the globe, including some in Australia and Scotland.

Cat believes the support from Garrison's fans will help them stay open this year ... after receiving $30K less in grant money for 2024. She says the biggest help has been people purchasing items like wet food and kitten milk replacement from the sanctuary's Amazon wish list.

It's a small silver lining on an otherwise tragic story.

Janelle Brown dice que está conmovida por la emoción después de que los fans honraran a su difunto hijo Garrison, donando dinero a refugios de animales en su nombre, y todo como una forma de destacar su pasión por sus gatos.

La estrella de "Sister Wives" compartió fotos de Garrison y sus gatos en Instagram el martes, diciendo que le saltaron las lágrimas cuando supo que High Country Humane y Ark Cat Sanctuary en Flagstaff, la ciudad natal de Garrison, habían recibido varias donaciones a raíz de su fallecimiento.

Janelle, que tuvo a Garrison y a otros cinco niños con su ex marido Kody Brown, dejó claro que esta era la manera perfecta de honrar a Garrison, quien amaba ser un "papá gato".

Y añadió: "Los gatos que adoptó de ambas agencias eran muy importantes para él".

Recuerden, Garrison había rescatado a un gato de nueve años al que llamó Ms. Buttons justo antes de su muerte a principios de este mes. En ese momento, Garrison compartió que el gato estaba "en la línea para la eutanasia" antes de que él interviniera.

Fuimos los primeros en contarles que Garrison falleció de un aparente suicidio la semana pasada. Como señalamos, la policía dice que su hermano Gabriel fue quien descubrió a Garrison sin vida en su casa.

Más tarde, Janelle confirmó la desgarradora noticia a través de un comunicado a nombre de ella y su ex marido Kody que decía: "Su pérdida dejará un agujero tan grande en nuestras vidas que nos quita el aliento".

Otros homenajes de la familia Brown, que documentó su alguna vez polígamo estilo de vida durante 18 temporadas, también llovieron sobre Garrison.

Solo tenía 25 años.

Que en paz descanse.

Janelle Brown says she's overwhelmed by emotion after fans honored her late son, Garrison, by donating to animal shelters in his name ... all as a way to highlight his pet cats.

The "Sister Wives" star shared photos of Garrison and his cats on Instagram Tuesday ... saying she was brought to tears after learning High Country Humane and Ark Cat Sanctuary in Garrison's hometown of Flagstaff received several donations in the wake of his passing.

Janelle -- who shared Garrison, as well as five other kids, with her ex-husband Kody Brown -- made it clear that this was the perfect way to honor Garrison ... who she said loved being a cat dad."

She adds, "The cats he adopted from both agencies were so important to him."

Remember, Garrison had rescued a nine-year-old cat -- which he named Ms. Buttons -- just before his death earlier this month. At the time, Garrison shared that the cat was "on the line for euthanasia" before he intervened.

We broke the story ... Garrison passed away in an apparent suicide last week. As we noted, cops say his brother Gabriel was the one who discovered Garrison deceased in his home.

Janelle later confirmed the heartbreaking news ... issuing a statement on behalf of herself and her ex-husband, Kody. She wrote ... "His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away."

Other tributes from the Brown family -- who documented their once polygamist life for 18 seasons -- soon poured in for Garrison as well.

He was only 25.

RIP

Janelle Brown is remembering happier times in the wake of her son, Garrison Brown's death -- posting a photo of the last time her whole brood was together.

Just a couple days after reflecting on Garrison's passing -- which occurred earlier this week -- the "Sister Wives" star shared a sweet family memory ... throwing up a pic on her social media that featured all six of her kids, whom she shares with her ex, Kody Brown,

The picture, Janelle says, was from Christmas ... and she wrote, "I had all my children together last Christmas. It was amazing as it's hard with everyone's busy lives to coordinate time like this. I am extremely grateful now that we had pictures taken."

The holiday allowed for Janelle to snap a pic of herself with her kids and grandkids -- the image marking the last full family photo for the reality star ... and obviously more poignant now in the wake of Garrison's passing.

The new upload marks Janelle's return to social media after announcing Garrison's death, who died by suicide on Tuesday -- this after she confirmed that her son had passed away.

We broke the story ... Garrison -- who appeared alongside Janelle and Kody on "Sisters Wives" -- took his own life at his home in Flagstaff, AZ. Flagstaff PD told us that Garrison's brother Gabriel was the first to discover him.

While we're told that Garrison died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound ... an investigation is still reportedly underway. Cops spoke with Janelle the day he died -- and she alerted them to alarming texts he'd sent to people they'd worked with before, and that raised red flags.

Garrison is survived by several family members -- as the Browns were famous polygamists before Kody's respective splits from wives Meri, Christine and Janelle over the last couple years. He was only 25.

RIP

Antes de que Garrison Brown se quitara la vida esta semana, Janelle Brown había enviado a uno de sus hijos para chequear si su hermano estaba bien y la razón por la que lo hizo tuvo que ver con sus últimos mensajes de textos.

De acuerdo con el informe de la policía obtenido por TMZ, los policías dicen que hablaron con la estrella de "Sister Wives" el martes luego de enterarse de que Garrison se había disparado, y describieron lo que Janelle calificó como mensajes preocupantes de parte de Garrison, que había estado enviando a algunas personas el día anterior.

La policía explica que Janelle les dijo que Garrison había enviado mensajes de texto a un grupo de personas con las que trabajaba la familia Brown, presumiblemente como parte de su programa, y sus palabras fueron siniestras.

Según Janelle, a través de la policía, el texto que les envió decía: "Quiero odiarte por compartir los buenos momentos. Pero no puedo. Extraño esos días".

Parece que Janelle se enteró de este mensaje a través del grupo, donde al parecer no estaba incluida, y le dijo a la policía que luego le envió un mensaje de texto directamente a Garrison y tuvieron una breve conversación antes de que dejara de responderle.

Luego Janelle se puso en contacto con sus otros hijos para ver quién podía ir a verlo y su hermano Gabriel se ofreció a hacerlo. Lamentablemente, en el momento en que llegó a Flagstaff, su hermano estaba muerto.

Esto es lo más loco de todo: los policías entrevistaron a 3 de los compañeros de cuarto de Garrison con quienes vivía en ese momento, y algunos de ellos dijeron que escucharon un estallido la noche del lunes, pero no creyeron que fuera un disparo y ninguno de ellos fue a chequear con Garrison si algo había pasado.

No fue hasta que Gabriel llegó a la escena el martes que descubrió a su hermano muerto y sosteniendo un arma de fuego. Llamó al 911, y fue entonces cuando los compañeros de cuarto dicen que se dieron cuenta de que Garrison se había quitado la vida.

Los compañeros de cuarto dicen que Garrison era conocido en la casa por batallar con el alcohol. Gabriel, por su parte, dijo que no se dio cuenta de que algo andaba mal con su hermano, señalando que recientemente había aceptado un nuevo trabajo en un centro médico y parecía estar bien por su cuenta.

Una última cosa, Janelle le dijo a la policía que Garrison estaba distanciado de su padre, Kody. Fuimos los primeros en contarles: Garrison murió el martes a causa de una herida de bala autoinfligida. Tenía 25 años.

Que en paz descanse.

Janelle Brown sent one of her sons to check on his brother before Garrison Brown took his own life this week -- and the reason she did that had to do with his final texts.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops say they spoke with the "Sister Wives" star Tuesday upon word that Garrison had shot himself ... and they describe what Janelle says were troubling messages Garrison had been sending to some people the day prior.

The police explain that Janelle told them Garrison had texted a group of people that the Brown family works with -- presumably as part of their show -- and his words were ominous.

According to Janelle, via the police, his text to them read ... "I want to hate you for sharing the good times. But I can't. I miss these days."

It sounds like Janelle caught wind of this message to the group -- which doesn't appear to have included her -- and she told police she then texted Garrison himself ... at which point she says they had a brief conversation for a few minutes before he stopped responding.

Janelle then contacted her other kids to see who could go check on Garrison, and his brother Gabriel volunteered. Sadly, by the time he arrived to Flagstaff ... his brother had died.

Here's the craziest part ... cops interviewed 3 of Garrison's roommates with whom he was living at the time -- and some of them said they heard a pop on Monday night ... but didn't think it was a gunshot, and none of them even checked on Garrison to see what happened.

As it turns out, it wasn't until Gabriel arrived on the scene Tuesday that he discovered his brother was dead -- and that he was holding a handgun. He called 911, and that's when the roommates say they realized Garrison had taken his own life.

The roommates say Garrison was known in the household to struggle with alcohol. Gabriel, meanwhile, said he didn't realize something was amiss with this sibling -- noting he'd recently taken on a new job at a medical facility and seemed to be doing okay on his own.

One last thing ... Janelle told cops Garrison was estranged from his father, Kody. We broke the story ... Garrison died Tuesday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 25.

RIP

2:34 PM PT -- Janelle Brown acaba de abordar la muerte de su hijo Garrison en redes sociales, donde publicó una foto de su hijo con el mensaje: "Kody y yo estamos profundamente tristes de anunciar la pérdida de nuestro hermoso niño Robert Garrison Brown. Él era una luz en la vida de todos los que lo conocían".

Y añade: "Su pérdida dejará un hueco tan grande en nuestras vidas que nos deja sin aliento. Les pedimos que por favor respeten nuestra privacidad y se unan a nosotros para honrar su memoria".

El hijo de Janelle Brown, Garrison, ha muerto y parece que su muerte se debe a un aparente suicidio, según ha averiguado TMZ.

La estrella de "Sister Wives", que ha aparecido junto a su madre y su padre, Kody Brown, en la exitosa serie de TLC en los últimos años, falleció el martes en Flagstaff, Arizona, donde tenía su propia casa después de haberse alejado de su familia.

La policía de Flagstaff nos dice que los oficiales llegaron a la casa de Garrison el martes por la mañana debido a una muerte y cuando llegaron lo descubrieron sin vida en la escena. Nos dicen que Garrison parece haber sufrido una herida de bala autoinfligida.

Nos dicen que no se sospecha de crimen violento y por ahora la policía está investigando el suceso como un aparente suicidio. La policía de la ciudad dice que el hermano de Garrison, Gabriel, llegó a la casa y lo encontró allí. No se sabe si dejó una nota, una investigación está en marcha.

Garrison ha aparecido en "Sister Wives" desde que se emitió por primera vez en 2010, cuando era solo un niño. La serie narra el estilo de vida polígamo de su padre Kody, quien tiene múltiples esposas. Janelle fue una de ellas hasta que se divorciaron el año pasado.

En cuanto a Garrison, él es uno de los muchos hijos de Kody, y tiene varios hermanos y medios hermanos, muchos de los cuales también aparecen en el programa. En total, es el cuarto hijo de Kody y Janelle. Tiene 5 hermanos directos y otros dos hermanastros de diferentes matrimonios.

Al principio, él y su familia vivieron en Utah, pero con el tiempo se trasladaron a Las Vegas, y cuando llegó a la mayoría de edad mostró interés en alistarse en las fuerzas armadas. Aunque quería alistarse en el Ejército, acabó haciéndolo en la Guardia Nacional.

Garrison se fue de la casa de sus padres hace unos años, durante la pandemia, en medio de una gran disputa familiar sobre el COVID y las estrictas normas que Kody imponía.

Al final, Garrison terminó comprando su propia casa en Arizona y ha vivido allí desde 2021. El tipo era bastante activo en las redes sociales, documentando su vida y sus mascotas.

Su última publicación en Instagram lo mostraba con un nuevo gato al que había dado la bienvenida en su casa, un felino que llamó Sra. Buttons. La describió de esta manera: "La nueva incorporación de mi hogar, la Sra. Buttons. Tiene 9 años y estaba en la fila de la eutanasia, pero mi complejo de salvador no pudo ser suficiente".

Es una tragedia absoluta para sus seres queridos, especialmente para Janelle, que acaba de anunciar que recientemente experimentó un susto de cáncer y tuvo que someterse a la extirpación de dos manchas precancerosas.

A Garrison le sobreviven muchos familiares y seres queridos. Solo tenía 25 años.

Que en paz descanse.

Si usted o alguien que usted conoce está luchando o en crisis, la ayuda está disponible. Llame o texto 988 o chat 988lifeline.org.

2:34 PM PT -- Janelle Brown just addressed Garrison's death, taking to social media to post a photo of her boy and writing ... "Kody and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful boy Robert Garrison Brown. He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him."

She adds, "His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away. We ask that you please respect our privacy and join us in honoring his memory."

Janelle Brown's son, Garrison, has died ... and it appears his death is a suicide, TMZ has learned.

The "Sister Wives" star -- who's appeared alongside his mother and father, Kody Brown, on the hit TLC series over the years -- passed away Tuesday in Flagstaff, AZ ... where he had his own home after having moved away from his family.

Flagstaff PD tells us ... officers responded to Garrison's home Tuesday morning on a report of a death, and when they arrived -- they discovered him dead at the scene. We're told Garrison appears to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

We're told no foul play is suspected, and for now ... police are looking into this as an apparent suicide. FPD says Garrison's brother Gabriel arrived at the house and found him there. No word on whether a note was left behind ... we're told an investigation is underway.

Garrison has appeared on "Sister Wives" since it first aired on the network way back in 2010 -- when he was just a kid. The series chronicles his dad's polygamous lifestyle in Utah, where Kody has multiple wives ... Janelle was one of them until they got divorced last year.

As for Garrison ... he's one of Kody's many children, and has several siblings and half-siblings -- many of whom are also featured on the show. All in all, he's Kody and Janelle's fourth child. He has 5 direct siblings, and two other half-siblings from different marriages.

While he and his family lived in Utah at first, they eventually moved to Vegas -- and as he came of age, Garrison showed an interest in enlisting in the armed services. While he wanted to join the Army ... Garrison ended up signing up for the National Guard.

Garrison moved out of his parents' house a few years ago during the pandemic -- this amid a massive feud within the family over COVID and the strict rules Kody was enforcing.

In the end, Garrison ended up buying his own home in Arizona and has lived there since 2021. The guy was pretty active on social media as well ... documenting his life and pets.

His last post on Instagram features him with a new cat he said he'd welcomed into the household ... a feline he called Ms. Buttons. He described the cat this way, "Newest edition to my home, Ms Buttons. She’s 9 years old and was on the line for euthanasia but my savior complex couldn’t suffice."

It's an absolute tragedy for his loved ones -- especially for Janelle, who just announced she recently experienced a cancer scare and had to have two pre-cancerous spots removed.

Garrison is survived by many family members and loved ones. He was only 25.

RIP

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Polygamy is confusing so here's the deal. Kody claims to have 4 wives, but he's only legally allowed to marry one. He married Meri before meeting any of the other women, but we've learned he decided he no longer wanted her as the official wife.

So Kody quietly divorced Meri and then tied the knot with another sister wife -- Robyn, the youngest of the bunch.

Now you wanna hear a friendly divorce. Meri is still in the fold, and she's become one of the backup singers ... aka sister wives.

Several parents at an elementary school in Vegas -- attended by the children of "Sister Wives" star Cody Brown -- are up in arms, TMZ has learned ... and it's all over reality TV cameras infiltrating their school.

Here's how it started -- sources tell TMZ, a production crew for TLC's "Sister Wives" came to the Sheila Tarr Elementary School's Valentine's Ball last Saturday to shoot the Brown family with their children.

According to sources, parents at the school were notified days before filming -- but a large group strongly objected to it, and lodged complaints with the school.

In the end, we're told the school worked out a deal with the production company behind the show -- in which producers agreed not to discuss the location of the school and blur out the faces of any children not associated with the show.

But we're told several parents were still upset -- believing the cameras represented an invasion of privacy -- and now, they want the local school district to revamp its on-campus filming policies.

TLC had no comment. A rep for the Clark County School District tells TMZ, "The district heard the concerns of the parents involved and considered them when developing [the] compromise."

The rep adds, "In the past few months, we've had the Ellen show, ABC News, Oxygen Network, and countless local broadcasts filmed at our schools. TLC and the Brown family deserved the same."

Brown and his multi-wife "plural" family claim they're filing a lawsuit against the state of Utah tomorrow -- challenging the bigamy law that makes their lifestyle illegal.

The Brown family attorney posted a statement on his blog saying, "We are not demanding the recognition of polygamous marriage. We are only challenging the right of the state to prosecute people for their private relations and demanding equal treatment with other citizens in living their lives according to their own beliefs."

The attorney adds, "It is a challenge designed to benefit not just polygamists but all citizens who wish to live their lives according to their own values -- even if those values run counter to those of the majority in the state."

The legal argument is virtually identical to the one made by supporters of gay marriage ... which is illegal in most U.S. states ... including Utah.

So, we gotta ask ...

Sources close to the fam tell TMZ various scheduling conflicts made it impossible for the whole family to get together this year. We're told the Browns had their Father's Day last week over a giant breakfast -- which included pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit, french toast and cereal.

As for gifts, we're told each of the wives gave Kody a "survival kit" -- some of the basics he needs to have at each house -- like cologne, Q-tips, and dental floss.

TMZ spoke with the TLC reality star -- who tells us he's taking Meri, Christine, Janelle, and Robyn to the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas for their famous Mother's Day Brunch buffet.

Kody says he isn't really a "breakfast guy" -- but his wives are huge fans of the Rock's quiche, eggs, and waffles ... and at $23.99 a pop, it fits in the budget.

Meanwhile, the Duggar family from "19 Kids & Counting" are also having a cost-friendly Mom's Day ... hitting church in the morning ... followed by a family luncheon honoring the women.

In other Mother's Day news -- TMZ also spoke with "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro ... who told us he's finally gonna take the day off this year and spend it with his wife Lisa ... who gave birth to their 4th kid this year.

The Brown family has been making the rounds promoting tonight's premiere on TLC (even appearing on TMZ Live), but we're told whole family has returned to Las Vegas to watch the show.