Season 16, Episode 13
Robert (Robbie)
Age: 28
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Addiction: GHB, Meth
What’s Memorable: This one is absolutely heartbreaking and it’s one of the most moving and uplifting episodes of Intervention ever. The family dynamics of the 3 adult children here are clearly the fault of neglectful and absent family members. I think that’s what Andrew was getting at during the Intervention – yeah mom was the huge fuck up who did everything exactly wrong but where was everyone else? There were 3 kids here that needed family and no one was there for them. The sisters had to parent their little brother, feel helpless when he wanted to stay with the mom who sold him off, had to see him being horribly abused, and weren’t able do anything about any of it. As adults, with all those guilt issues weighing on them, they are trying to reconnect and do something to help him in his pain. The dinner they all had together -you could feel Robbie’s sense of being out of place, of wanting to be able to talk to his sisters but not having the tools to say anything meaningful, despite how he may have felt about being with them again. The intervention was one of the best I’ve seen. Andrew rocked it, and the followup was amazing. Dammit I love this episode.
Official Synopsis: Sweet, adorable and with a shock of blond hair, young Robbie was doted on by his two older sisters, Cara and Kristy. The trio were inseparable. Even as their home life descended into chaos when their mother turned to drugs and prostitution, the three siblings took care of each other. When the situation got worse and they were sent to foster care, they still stuck together. But eventually 11-year-old Robbie would separate from his sisters, escaping foster care to search for his wayward mother. He found her, only to follow her down a heart-breaking path of destructive drug use. Now 28, Robbie’s sisters unite to see if there’s any chance of saving their little brother and becoming a family again.
Date Aired: January 2017
Interventionist: Andrew
This was honestly the most heartbreaking episode for me personally. I felt like he struggled so much with the physical interaction with his family because of the abuse he endured as a child. You could tell he was so worried he’d say the wrong thing or that he’d make someone upset. It was just heartbreaking.. even in recovery he seemed so sad behind the smile it just hurt i want to give him such a huge hug… such an amazing human being and i pray he stays sober
I loved this episode. The anguish he must of held inside through his childhood. You can tell he is s good soul and I fell in love with his spirit and soul. I hope he stays clean and should get a follow up. I’d love to know where his story has gone.
What a great episode! I find it amazing how after all he’s been through he’s still so kind, generous and respectful. I hope this guy is doing well…he deserves it.
This was absolutely the most touching and heart breaking episodes. Praying for his continued sobriety. Praying for Cara – she deserves the world. Praying for the entire family. God bless! Robbie, we’re all rooting for you! So much love ❤️
I cried my ass off at the end , couldnt hold it in ! What a lovely, brave and strong man. YOu are a real inspiration Robbie. xx
I have never wanted to hug someone more. To know just a tiny bit of what he went through and to know he is still so caring is a lesson for us all. Im rooting for you!
Wow, what an incredible episode. My heart ached for this man, he was never given a chance in life and was so intensely hurt so young. At the end of the episode I was ready to be so upset when it says he left after 3 days or whatever like the Canada ones usually do, but I just started SOBBING when i saw that he stayed, and to see him with his sister at the end, with her so overwhelmed with relief and joy…it was absolutely beautiful.
Robbie we are rooting for you!! I pray that you are still sober and clean. This episode is so heart wrenching because even with all the hurt that you went through he was still able to be kind to others. God bless you Robbie, take it one day at a time.
Can someone tell me what the girlfriend Kathy was doing with the credit card when she was trying to wake him up? I didn’t understand that part
I think she was trying to scratch off the name? I think so anyway.
What an amazing episode. I hope that robbie stayed sober. He seems like such a sweet and kind soul. I don’t think I’ve wanted to hug someone so much!
any updates on him!! what a wonderful person!
Hes clean 4 years today!
This brought my JOY!!!! Thank you for posting
Watching his episode right now. I’m at the intervention part of the show. I’m so happy to have read this before I reach the end of the show. It’s been 3 years since your comment and I hope he is still doing great!!
Ok, looked at his Instagram. his last post was May 5th of this year and it’s a beautiful picture of him and his wife touring Italy so that’s so awesome to hear and see how happy he is and the fact that he is six plus years sober now. way to go Robbie
Wow this was such an upsetting episode. He was sexually abused throughout his entire childhood and sold by his mother of all people. I hope he finds happiness in his life because he deserves it.
They never really talked about the mother. I wonder what ever happened to her. Perhaps I missed it. The maternal grandmother seem so distant and unwilling to accept that her daughter caused so many of these kids problems.
This is why early intervention in childhood is key. This kid slipped through the cracks.
You are so amazing. I think about your story daily and would love to talk to Robby in person someday I don’t know if he sees these but it’s worth a shot.
I just watched Robbie’s episode. I cried a river of tears. He is such an amazing, adorable soul. Please, let me know he is doing great. He deserves it.
I have never felt my heart go out to someone on this show as much as it went out to Robbie. He was gracious and kind and thought about everyone else before himsef, even after a life full of so much pain and betrayal. I can’t even sleep because I’m so distraught over what he went through… I bawled my eyes out through the whole episode. Thank God Robbie you made it! I want an update! Someone tell us if Robbie is okay! He has a fan club cheering him on and we all see the beautiful soul in him! I am praying for you…Keep fighting the good fight, we love you Robbie! (Also my son’s name). 💗💗💗
When I saw his transformation at the end of the episode i thought with myself “what a beautiful mannn”. I hope he is fine now.
I just saw this episode tonight, June 1, 2019 and I’m wondering where Robbie is now and how he is doing. Such a moving story and such a wonderful ending. I hope that this incredible young man is living the life he is meant to live with love and support and that his family is strong and still connected.
his facebook is robbie brownlee!
i have lots of observations from this episode. first, those poor kids. what a hard life. especially robbie. their mother is a MONSTER. how could anyone do that to another person, much less a child, much less YOUR child! i wish they would have said where she is now, if they even know. that is the least close knit family i’ve ever seen in the history of intervention. most of them hadn’t seen each other for 6-10 years. i want to know why the father or grandmother didn’t take all 3 kids from day one instead of them going into foster care? maybe they couldn’t for some reason, who knows, but if one of them could have, they certainly should have. maybe all this could have been avoided. but hindsight is 20/20, as they say.
the father clearly cared, but he sure was full of excuses. what possible good could have come from him saying that the mother didn’t want the youngest daughter and he had to talk her out of an abortion though??? None. it only resulted in hurt feelings. i can’t believe he said that.
i wonder what happened to the bag of meth that he had in his hand when he was in the car on the way to his “last interview” aka the intervention? he didn’t get the opportunity to do it and left from there to go to the airport. i guess we’ll never know.
that’s so incredibly generous of the dentist to fix robbie’s teeth for free. maybe robbie just isn’t used to the new teeth yet but if that’s not the case, and i apologize for saying this, but i don’t think the dentist did a very good job. i hate to knock a good deed, that’s certainly not my intent. surely his teeth are better than what they were before. i know that is a stumbling block for many recovering addicts, the state of their teeth. if only they all could have a dentist so generously help them.
When I got my dentures the procedure was to be fitted with what they call “intermediate dentures” before your teeth are pulled, which are kind of a knock-off until your gums have receded and adjusted, which takes about 6 months to (recommended) a year. Then you are fitted for your permanent dentures. This may or may not be the case with Robbie and his dentures. I saw his facebook page and he still is giving so much thanks to LastDoor Recovery Center and still lives in the Vancouver area.
I have seen almost every episode of this show and lived through addiction in my daughter’s father. I’ve never, ever felt so moved by anyone- Robbie and his sisters. I pray he’s still on his path of sobriety; he truly deserves it! Also, kudos to Andrew on how he handled this delicate situation, especially with the abortion comment. I love how positive he is and how he seems to CARE!
I wish I could meet him
This episode touched my heart so much
Out of all the episodes I have watched this one well forever break my heart
How omg how could a mother do that
I am so sick to my stomach
Robbie from the bottom of my heart
I wanted to hug you so bad watching this episode
Omg I can’t even imagine your pain
I don’t even know where to begin with my prayers for you
I’m just so lost for words
Thinking of you and praying you are ok
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I don’t think this is available in the IS. So his mother SOLD him? As in, prostitution? What an abhorrent thing to do! I hope she is rotting in prison somewhere, but I know she’s probably not. God in heaven, what is wrong with people? I hope he is out there, living the best life. Damn, he deserves all the happiness in the world. And god bless all the child protective workers who have to hear about and deal with monsters like her.
It should be available to download/stream from multiple sources.
He did really well to get off G, the withdrawals can kill both physically and mentally. I cannot believe he was going 10mls!! 1ml can put you in a coma and die. I know friends of friends that have died in this stuff!! He’s done so well. What’s crappy distant family he had! Selfish and distant! Thank goodness for his sisters and now his dads back. I hope he’s doing ok still? The family need to talk through with therapy, so they can heal.
Y’all! He looks so good! Sobriety has been treating him very well! So proud of him!
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014752489466
Omg, i am so so happy for Robbie. This intervention episode touched me and all i was thinking in the end was how much i just wanted to give him a big hug.
He was beautiful then and is beautiful now!
Im really happy for him.
Absolutely my favourite episode! someone who has been through so much as a child, abused and unloved by his mother turned out to be so beautifully sweet and caring! He is amazing! And his dad needs to take some responsibility and the grandmother, I mean come on your daughter is a total F*ck up, and you need to take some responsibility!!
His sister Cara is an absolute angel, to have gone through all of this too and just being so supportive and amazing, I think she needs some love and support too….I love that trio!
God bless, I hope life gets more and more amazing for the 3 of them!!
Well said especially re the trio. I hope Cara is happy and got some help too. What an angel.
Holy moley, he got super freaking hot when he got clean! Like omg mega hot! WOW! Go Robbie!!
Looked at his facebook and omg he seems to be doing so well!! He’s so handsome! And the “gay for a day” shirts him and his friends had on for whatever rally they were at skskskdfh Robbie said gay rights we LOVE a king!!! <33
I felt so bad for this young man. When he said “I don’t even really know myself”, I identified so strongly with that in my addiction. I feel as if many of us (while in active addiction) would’ve felt completely abandoned and betrayed with history like his but he found strength and forged ahead to reconstruct a life worth loving. I’m rewatching the entire series now and this one was a top 10 most impactful. I wish you all the peace and happiness in this new life brother. I don’t know if the participants ever come on here and read the comments but I hope this reaches you. You are loved and prayed for.
I’ve never wanted to crawl through the TV and hug a family so much in my life. Hoping he’s happy and healthy.
I have been a super appreciative reader of this site for years. I shouldn’t have waited so long to say so, but thank you so much, Dizzy, for all the heart and hard work and dedication you have put into this site. It’s such a gift to so many people.
This is the first episode I have ever felt I just had to say something about… though I’m at a loss for what to even say. What a gentle, wise, humble, inspiring, resilient, generous, beautiful trio of siblings. The unimaginable pain and injustice you have endured is matched only by the boundless love and strength in the depth of your souls. I’m a tired old cynic but to me you’re what still counts as a miracle in this life.
I have no idea how to pray any more… but in my own sorry way, I’m saying a prayer of thanksgiving and hope for — and with — all of you.
I have loved this site for years, but have never felt so compelled to comment. What a wonderful man. And gosh, his sweet sisters. I have seen every episode and rarely get moved to tears, but this one got me the whole time. I am so happy he was able to get clean and from the looks of things stay that way. Robbie should definitely be in the running for Most Likable. Keep up the great work!
Robbie’s story is one that I will never forget. What an inspiring man. As of February 13th, 2022, he is engaged and 5+ years sober!! GO ROBBIE!! <3
His story is so much like mine. Watching his episode made my heart hurt so much because I know the hole he was in and how it is so very hard to cope with all that trauma. It gives me hope to see her made it to recovery. He is such a strong, sweet soul.
Online said Sept 2nd 2021 he celebrated 5 years! You go man!
This was an amazing episode it made me cry and so angry at times I couldn’t believe what his mother did to him an absolute sick sick woman to do this to her precious man he had been through so much because of the horrors he went through he is so strong and so full of courage may god bless him with a wonderful sober life full of LOVE and HAPPINESS
Robbie really caught my eye on how caring and sweet he is as a person. Honestly could see the beauty of his soul from out his eyes. I really hope he continues to smile because that smile of his is contagious.
Omg his Facebook…I love him so much. What an incredible story. He said in his post about being 5 years sober that 5 years ago he “made the best decision” of his life…just like Andrew said at the intervention! 💘
Just checked his Insta and he’s married with six years sober. His sisters were at his wedding. Him and his siblings were incredible given all they went through
Robbie should definitely be in the most likeable category! Despite all the abuse he suffered he was sweet and kind hearted throughout the episode! You could tell he is a genuine guy! I recently checked his social media and he looks incredible!! You wouldnt think its the same guy from the episode!! Married in 2023 and looks to be thriving! Whoa so very happy for him and his two sisters! They were so loving and never gave up on him! I wish them all the very best! Yay Robbie! 🙏
Yeah, I agree. Robbie is absolutely one of the most likeable addicts I’ve seen on this show.
I would love to talk to Robs sisters to see how about they went about this. intervention. The sister he worked with showed so much love, that’s what got me right in my heart. She is an absolutely amazing sister and probably the best roll model, I would love to have her direct me on how to help get my sister out of he funk. it’s been going on too long, and all I think about is the love that she had for her brother.it was the most amazing feeling when she sent back to see Rob, tears down both cheeks. Just amazing
I just rewatched this episode. I’ve seen just about every episode of this program, but Robbie’s story stands out. What a genuinely pure soul for everything he had to endure. I hope he is doing well, and I hope his family is, too.
What is wrong with you? Robbie is alive and thriving. Why would you say something so horrible?
If your ex wife has full custody of the kids and she loses her damn mind and goes missing on a crack binge, wouldn’t a family court rather give the children to their father than place them in foster homes? There’s more to this story I’m sure – saddest story I’ve seen to date!