Editor’s Note: This article contains discussion of suicide and mental health that could be triggering.Six months ago, the lives of the Sister Wives family drastically changed. In March, many outlets reported that Kody Brown and Janelle Brown’s son, Garrison Brown, passed away from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head after battling mental health issues. Garrison’s tragic death cast a dark spell over the upcoming season of Sister Wives. It is still unknown how much of Garrison’s death will be covered or how much he will appear in the season since it was filmed two years ago. For the first time in six months, his mother Janelle opens up about his struggles and what led to his death, in an emotional chat with People.
Garrison’s cause of death was ruled as a suicide, as he was found dead in his home in Arizona. The autopsy report also revealed that his blood alcohol levels were higher than normal, which is another important factor in his death. Janelle also believes that substances played a role in his death. His celebration of life was held a few weeks later, with the U.S. National Guard giving him military honors.
Like many fans, Janelle candidly said that she had “no idea” that he was in “that place” with his mental health. “He didn’t ever express any kind of extreme sad feelings,” she said. “In fact, he was very funny, very upbeat. He had a career path that he was excited about. He had a life, he had friends.”
The ‘Sister Wives’ Star Opens Up About Mental Health Importance
Speaking about her son, the Sister Wives star revealed that she and Garrison “had conversations” surrounding mental health. “He had all the resources that he could have needed,” she said. “This was just such a shock. We just never expected this.”
She continued. “I really actually had sort of thought like, ‘Okay, maybe he’s finally starting to get his momentum. It’s hard in your 20s to find your path. And I was really excited, so it was such a shock… because there was just no indication at all.”
Like many people, Janelle believes that a lot of men of Garrison’s age suffer from mental health issues in silence. In 2022, the suicide rate among men in the United States was approximately four times higher than the rate among women, according to the CDC. Janelle says that more conversations about mental health with men need to be had, as there is “no shame in getting help.” “We just had no idea,” she reiterates. “This was such a shock to us.”
Janelle then goes on to share that she and her family “check in” on each other, as they are “very real.” “We actually say the words and we wait to hear what’s really happening, not just kind of gloss over it,” she said. “I think we’re definitely putting more stock in mental health in our family.” Even though Garrison was loved and cared for by his family, and there were resources to help him, there was nothing more Janelle could have done to prevent his devastating death as his mother, as she acknowledges.
I don’t know what we could have done different[ly],” she says. “We were definitely — and I would encourage everybody to be that way — we were having real conversations with him. We were offering resources, we were always talking to him, we were loving him. All the things were there. It really just was something he could not… like the demon he couldn’t get on top of the battle. He couldn’t seem to get over.”
“It just wasn’t for lack of love or lack of anything,” she continued. “And all I can do is think… we always ask ourselves could we have done something more, but I don’t know. I think that’s a grief trap because I think, ultimately, everybody is responsible for their own actions and their own decisions. But we did everything. We really did everything that we could have done. And unfortunately, sometimes [that] still isn’t enough.”
If you have been affected by the contents of this article, you can visit the National Mental Health Hotline for help and resources.
The new season of Sister Wives premieres September 15 on TLC in the U.S.
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