Only a few reality TV shows really win the hearts of people worldwide.

One show that has done this since 2009 is Pawn Stars on the History Channel.

It perfectly combines entertainment, history, and negotiation.

Rick Harrison, co-founder of the show and shop, has spent most of his life in the shop.

He worked hard to grow and expand the pawn shop business.

Despite his clear dedication to growth, Rick has faced many personal hardships and legal battles that most people are unaware of.

Let’s examine what happened to Rick Harrison and get an update on his current condition.

Richard Kelvin Harrison, famously known to fans as Rick Harrison, was born on March 22nd, 1965, by Richard Benjamin Harrison and Joanne Ru Harrison.

His parents had four kids, namely Sher, Joseph, Rick, and Chris, with Rick being the third child.

Rick experienced tragedy early in life when he lost one of his siblings, Sher.

Joanne Harrison‘s first child, Sher, was born with Down syndrome and eventually passed on at the age of six.

Rick’s father was a US Navy veteran.

In 1967, when Harrison was 2, his family moved to San Diego, California, due to his father’s transfer.

Rick faced ongoing problems when he began having epileptic seizures at 8 years old.

This left him with no other choice but to spend a lot of time in bed reading books.

This sparked his lifelong love for books and reading.

He especially liked a series by John D.

Fitzgerald called The Great Brain, which featured a 10-year-old Utah con artist named Tom D.

Fitzgerald, who inspired Harrison.

Harrison really liked physics and history.

He especially enjoyed learning about the Royal Navy from the late 1700s to the early 1800s.

Harrison went to Taft Middle School in San Diego but dropped out during 10th grade to sell fake Gucci bags for $20 a week.

Rick and the family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in April 1981 because their parents’ real estate business had failed.

At 17, Rick faced another challenge when his girlfriend Kim became pregnant.

Although pretty young, Rick bravely decided to embrace fatherhood.

Sadly, the couple experienced the terrible loss of their first child to a miscarriage.

Despite this, they stayed strong and eventually got married in 1982.

They gave birth to their first child, Corey, on April 27th, 1983, who later became vital to his father’s business.

Two years later, they happily greeted their second child, Adam.

Not long after Adam was born, Harrison and Kim separated in 1985.

But Rick didn’t stay a single dad for long.

Just 9 months after his divorce, he started dating Tracy.

They dated for about 8 months before getting married in 1986.

Together, they took on the responsibility of caring for Corey and Adam.

We’ve talked about Rick’s foray into physics and history, which benefited his career.

When his father opened a 300 ft secondhand gold and silver coin shop in Las Vegas Boulevard South in 1981, Rick’s expertise in history really contributed to the shop’s success.

He was available to give historical backing to each piece.

But at night, Rick was repossessing cars.

Five years later, the family relocated to a bigger spot on Fremont Street, but they had to move again after 2 years because they lost their lease.

In his autobiography, Rick explained that he and his dad had wanted to change the store into a pawn shop for a while, seeing it as a logical next step.

But they couldn’t due to a law from 1955 in Las Vegas, which only issued a limited number of pawn licenses based on the city’s population.

So, they came to apply for a pawn license as soon as the city’s population hit 250,000.

By 1989, they finally got their pawn license after facing some legal challenges.

That same year, the father and son opened the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop at 713 Las Vegas Boulevard South, not far from the Las Vegas Strip.

At first, the father and son focused on selling special sports items and unique historical pieces in their shop, but jewelry became their top-selling item over time.

Their business grew and became well-known in Las Vegas.

By 2005, they were lending out millions each year, earning hundreds of thousands in interest income.

The following year, the store became known for having rare sports items with interesting backgrounds, like a 2001 Super Bowl ring that belonged to football player Brock Williams.

They also helped out gamblers who would pawn things to get money for gas to return home.

Their growth and popularity caught the attention of the History Channel, which led to the birth of Pawn Stars.

The show premiered in July 2009.

Brent Montgomery and Colby Gains from Left Field Pictures came up with the idea for Pawn Stars during a visit to Las Vegas in 2008.

They loved the variety of interesting and shady pawn shops, believing that these shops could be home to unique characters.

They looked for a family-owned shop to base a TV series on.

Eventually, they discovered the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, which was less than 2 miles from the Las Vegas Strip.

This shop had already been the focus of a PBS documentary in 2001, and Rick, the manager and part-owner, had wanted a show about his shop for years.

Rick had previously appeared in an episode of Insomniac with Dave Attel in 2003.

The show was first pitched to HBO, who didn’t like the original idea.

But they allowed it to be changed into the family-friendly style we have.

Originally named Pawning History, it was later changed to Pawn Stars to better fit what they were shooting.

The name is a playful pun on porn stars.

The show is filmed at the famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, Nevada.

While jewelry is the most common item pawned there, customers on Pawn Stars bring in a range of vintage or antique items.

The shop holds over 10,000 items in its inventory.

During filming, the store is closed to the public, with only a few approved customers allowed inside.

The Harrison family became very popular because of the show.

Many people watched it, left positive reviews, and wanted more, which helped the show grow.

In return, every year, in January 2011, Pawn Stars was the top-rated show on the History Channel.

It was also the second-highest-rated reality show after Jersey Shore.

On June 7th, 2011, Rick Harrison released his biography, License to Pawn: Deals, Steals, and My Life at the Golden Silver, which reached number 22 on the New York Times bestseller list by June 26th, 2011.

In this same year, Rick divorced his second wife, Tracy.

The following year, Rick Harrison, who had been divorced twice, announced his engagement to Deanna Berit, who was also divorced.

Rick was happy with the show’s success and his growing popularity among fans.

He, Corey, and Chumley appeared as themselves in an episode of iCarly titled “I Lost My Head in Vegas”.

Four days later, Rick played an antique store owner in an episode of another series titled The Middle.

Around this time, he married Deanna Berit in Laguna Beach, California.

Through this marriage, Rick gained three stepdaughters: Serena, Kiana, and Marissa.

In January 2014, Rick Harrison became the spokesperson for the Micro Touch One razor, a men’s shaving product, and appeared in a TV commercial for it.

A few months later, the History Channel premiered United Stuff of America, a show from the producers of Pawn Stars that shined a light on notable artifacts from important historical moments.

In July 2014, the game show Pornography premiered on the History Channel, featuring Rick, Corey, and Chumley competing against contestants to prevent them from winning cash and items from the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop’s inventory.

But sadly, a series of unfortunate tragedies happened to Rick and his family.

Rick lost his father in June 2018.

Richard Harrison, known as “The Old Man” on the TV show Pawn Stars, passed away.

Rick announced his father’s death to over 245,000 Instagram followers on Monday, stating that Parkinson’s disease was the cause.

A representative for the Harrison family confirmed the patriarch’s passing and provided the same statement Rick shared on Instagram.

A statement from the History Channel expressed their sadness over the passing of the TV star.

“We are very sad about the loss of our friend, Richard ‘The Old Man’ Harrison, who was a beloved member of the History and Pawn Stars family,” the statement says.

“We’ll miss his wisdom and honesty.

Our hearts are with the Harrison family during this tough time.

” Losing his father brought Rick immense sadness and also made him solely responsible for looking after the family and running the shop.

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2019, severely affecting the business and creating many challenges for Rick.

With many people struggling during COVID-19, one might have assumed that pawn shops were thriving.

After all, if you were in a tough spot and needed quick cash, a pawn shop was the go-to place.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for many of these businesses.

While there was initially a boost in business at the start of the pandemic, it didn’t last long.

In an interview with Fox News, Pawn Stars star Rick mentioned that COVID-19 had distorted the pawn shop business.

He explained how the industry as a whole had struggled to find its footing.

Now that most people were only engaging in essential activities, visiting a pawn shop wasn’t at the top of their lists.

To worsen matters, Rick had to partially close his shop doors in March 2020 as the number of cases skyrocketed.

The tourist section of the business was closed for 30 days, although the financial aspect remained operational.

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the shop’s CFO said, “We kept buying assets and running the loan business through our night window 24/7 because obviously there were people who were hurting.

” Rick was still ready to fight for his business, and he emphasized that he and the rest of the world-famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop team were ready to work harder.

In an interview with a local Las Vegas news station back in April 2020, he added, “We lowered the interest rate on items.

We gave people more time to pick their stuff up.

We understood.

I’ve been in this town for a long time.

It’s given a lot to me, and I always try to give back.

” During that interview, Rick also mentioned that he thought the economy would bounce back in about six months.

Unfortunately, we now know that wasn’t the case.

According to the Daily Mail, in 2020, the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, which usually makes over $1 million each year, only earned $37,460 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, Rick had to deal with the added burden of a divorce from his third wife, whom he married in September 2020.

According to court papers obtained by TMZ, Rick Harrison and Deanna Berit seemed to have drifted apart so much that they couldn’t stay married.

Rick said in the suit that their tastes, opinions, and preferences had become so different that they couldn’t get along in marriage.

TMZ also mentioned that the divorce might have been overlooked because it happened during the national George Floyd protests.

Rick told TMZ, “I got three great daughters out of it,” referring to Deanna’s three children from her previous marriage, and added that the marriage didn’t work out and the divorce was a mutual decision.

He also said he had moved on from the father-daughter photos he had recently posted on Instagram.

It’s clear he still considers his stepchildren to be his own.

“Father-daughter day off-roading,” Rick wrote in an August 7th Instagram post.

He has expressed similar sentiments about more than one of his stepdaughters, so at least that’s positive.

Despite the challenges, Rick handled everything with support from his son Corey and his best friend Austin “Chumley” Russell.

A year later, Rick married his fourth wife, Amanda Palmer, hoping for a better life with her.

However, Rick’s difficulties continued.

In February 2022, he encountered legal issues with his own mother Joanne Rue.

According to USA Today, Rick’s mother, Joanne Harrison, has filed a lawsuit against him over family assets and ownership of the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop.

The civil lawsuit was filed in Nevada State Court.

Rick Harrison, the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, Harrison Properties, Joric Properties, and others are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

Running a family business can be complex and tricky because financial matters can cause good relationships to break.

Unfortunately, this was what happened to the son and mother.

Rick and Joanne’s bond was really affected by disputes over money.

The complaint from his mother accused Rick of breaking a contract, pointing out that his mother was married to his father for almost six decades.

Yet, when she was in the hospital in the early 2000s, just after she woke up from a coma, Rick had her sign over her 51% ownership of the pawn shop to him, at a point when she didn’t fully understand what she was signing.

This, of course, didn’t put Rick in a good light, as fans who were following the story had always believed him to be a family-oriented person who wouldn’t screw his family because of money.

The fact on the ground was that when Richard passed away in 2018, his wife inherited his 49% share of the pawn shop.

However, it seemed her son never gave her the full financial records of the business.

She claimed she hadn’t received proper records for more than $500,000 in cash and silver that she believed Richard had before he died.

She said Rick had stopped sending her money from her late husband Richard’s share of the business.

Rick used to send her regular $25,000 payments, but he stopped in 2020.

Joanne was also trying to get that allowance reinstated through the courts.

Many fans felt Rick’s wealth was in danger because, according to reports, Joanne filed a temporary restraining order against her son to prevent him from selling any of the family’s assets.

The restraining order would also prevent Rick from moving or hiding cash assets or taking any other actions that would reduce her stake in the family’s business.

The lawsuit also asked for unspecified damages, a full account of assets, and a court order to stop Rick from using his mother’s money, and he had to release any control over her property through a constructive trust.

However, Rick later said in an interview concerning the case, “The accusations are untrue, and I believe that my 81-year-old mother is being influenced by others for their own benefit.

”Joanne’s request stated, “While Rick enjoys his comfortable life as a celebrity in control of all the family business, businesses, and finances, I am left scared and unsure if I will have enough money to cover my medical and personal expenses every month.

” According to an article, Joanne was over 80 years old and has many health problems that require round-the-clock care, which can cost up to $155,000 per month.

Rick said he only learned about the restraining order request from news reports.

He said, “I’ve tried to contact her many times over the last few months but haven’t been able to reach her.

” In fact, one of the companies she is suing is completely owned by my mother.

The Pawn Stars star seemed confused by his mother’s lawsuit.

Despite facing numerous challenges, Rick’s greatest and most devastating blow was yet to come.

In January 2024, Rick tragically lost his son.

A public information officer in Clark County, Nevada, confirmed that the 39-year-old died from fentanyl and methamphetamine overdose.

The Clark County Office of the Medical Examiner ruled the death as accidental.

Concern arose when another resident noted his absence since January 17th.

The landlord discovered him unresponsive, leading to a call to law enforcement on January 19th.

Harrison shared the news of his son’s passing by posting a picture of himself and Adam at a restaurant on his Instagram account.

“You’ll always be in my heart.

I love you, Adam Harrison,” he captioned, adding a broken heart emoji.

Laura Hurvich, a spokesperson for the family, mentioned in a statement on January 22nd that Adam reportedly passed away from a fentanyl overdose.

“We are deeply saddened by Adam’s passing.

Please respect our privacy as we mourn his loss.

”

Rick also commented on the matter in a statement, stating, “The fentanyl crisis in this country needs to be addressed more seriously.

” In response to Rick’s heartfelt Instagram tribute to his son Adam, many offered their condolences.

Donald Trump Jr.

simply commented, “I’m so sorry, man.

” Corey Harrison, Adam’s older brother, also posted a childhood photo of them on his Instagram page.

In the post, he wrote, “I’ll always love you, Bubba.

”Although Adam Harrison wasn’t seen on Pawn Stars, he reportedly worked at Gold and Silver Pawn at one point.

He later became a plumber.

Corey had initially explained that Adam didn’t seem interested in being on the show.

Even with all these problems and sadness in his life, Rick stays positive and keeps his pain hidden behind his bright smile.

Rick endorsed Donald Trump for president and Daniel Rodimer for Nevada’s third congressional district in 2020.

He even considered running for governor of Nevada in 2022.

Rick also said he might run for US Senate in 2024.

“A lot of people in the party have talked to me about it, and I always consider it.

I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I’m keeping my options open.

”Rick received his Kentucky Colonel stat US during an episode of the Pawn Stars spin-off, partly filmed at Locust Grove.

He was inducted into the Kentucky Colonels in June 2023 in their grand parlor.

The Kentucky Colonel is the highest honor given by the governor of Kentucky.

Rick no longer works full-time at the pawn shop.

Instead, he is now starring in season 2