Steven Brown was the son of Madeleine Brown and Lyndon Johnson. His mother was taken care of financially on his birth. She received a house, credit cards, etc. He was a sickly child but was able to join the Navy as he grew older.

In 1990 he thought he should be benefiting from his father's great wealth so he filed a claim against the Johnson estate. His mother warned him that this would be a mistake, but he believed that just walking into the court room looking like a young Lyndon Johnson would be sufficient to make his case.

This did not go as planned since the suit triggered a dishonorable discharge from the Navy. He was arrested on various minor charges and his life came to an end in late September of that year. The death was attributed to a chronic ailment or others thought it was under mysterious circumstances. It wouldn't have been the first time.