There are fights between celebrities that have gone down in Hollywood history, such as the recently resolved one between Noel and Liam Gallagher, the members of Oasis, or the feud between Taylor Swift and Kanye West. However, there are others who do not find a resolution until it is too late, as was the case with the hosts of the popular History Channel show, “American Pickers,” Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe. . For years, their relationship was fundamental to the success of the show, but their estrangement ended up marking the end of their shared history.
And why until it’s too late? Sadly, Frank Fritz passed away on Monday, September 30 at the age of 60, as his former teammate Mike Wolfe announced on social media the next day.
“It is with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night. “I have known Frank for more than half my life and what you have seen on television has always been what I have seen, a dreamer who was as sensitive as he was funny,” Wolfe wrote alongside a photo of the two in his Instagram account.
Mike Wolfe confirms the death of his former teammate Frank Fitz (Photo: Mike Wolfe / Instagram)
For more than a decade, he and Wolfe were the show’s dynamic duo, traveling the country searching for antiques. However, after a fight in 2020, Wolfe continued hosting the show without Fritz, marking the end of their television collaboration and a friendship that could never be repaired before Frank’s sad departure.
The fun relationship between Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz was the soul of “Treasure Hunters.” Fans loved watching them travel the country searching for antiques, but when they stopped speaking, the behind-the-scenes drama surpassed any treasure they found! What really happened between these two friends of more than 40 years?
It was never revealed with certainty what happened between the Treasure Hunter drivers, as each gave their own version of events. On the one hand, Frank Fritz claimed that Mike Wolfe inexplicably walked away after his departure due to health problems, suggesting that perhaps Mike preferred to benefit his brother Robbie on the show rather than support him.
“Treasure Hunters” began airing in 2009 with Mike Wolfe and Frank Fitz as hosts (Photo: History Channel)
In contrast, Mike explained that the estrangement was a result of the difficulties Frank faced with his addictions, which affected not only his personal life, but also those around him.
Frank left the show in 2020 due to health problems, but according to him, that wasn’t the worst. In an interview with The Sun in July 2021Fritz revealed that although Mike knew about his back surgery and fight with Crohn’s disease, he never bothered to call him: “I haven’t spoken to Mike in two years. He knew his back was bad, but he didn’t call me to ask how I was doing. “That’s how things are.”
For Fritz, the relationship he had with Wolfe was special, a chemistry that can’t be forced: “You can’t put two people in a van and get the chemistry that you get from me and Mike. We have known each other for about 40 years. “We can finish each other’s sentences.”
However, Frank also felt that Wolfe had replaced him with his brother Robbie: “I think Mike wants his brother Robbie to be there to replace me.”
Mike Wolfe, for his part, was more diplomatic about Frank’s departure. In July 2021, he officially announced that Fritz would not be returning to the show: “I will miss Frank, like all of you, and I pray for the best and all good things for him on the next part of his journey.”
However, Danielle Colby, their co-star on the show, gave a harsher perspective on the situation, mentioning Frank’s struggles with his addictions. “I am truly saddened by the loss of Frank on the show,” she wrote on Instagram. “I am incredibly saddened by their struggles…we must be responsible for our actions when we cause instability or pain and suffering to others.”
Mike also commented on the difficult path Frank had taken: “Frank is going through a lot personally with addiction. It is unfortunate that he has made decisions that have left him as he is.”
In May 2023, news emerged of a meeting between Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz over Memorial Day weekend, marking their first meeting in three years.
A friend close to both revealed that the meeting was emotional, stating that “they were both crying” while reminiscing about moments from the past. During this nostalgic chat, Wolfe expressed his desire for Fritz to return to the show.
However, despite this emotional reunion, the long-awaited reconciliation between the two drivers did not materialize, as an on-screen meeting never occurred. Although the personal connection seemed to be restored, Wolfe and Fritz’s professional paths remained separate.
Sadly, any chance of a reunion ended with the death of Frank Fritz. Mike Wolfe, in an emotional message, reflected on the years they shared on the show, remembering how they both never imagined the success of “American Pickers” since its launch in 2010. Wolfe recalled their countless trips together, highlighting the passion that united them in the search for the historical and the interesting.
Gianella Altuna
