'American Pickers' Alum Frank Fritz Hospitalized After Suffering Stroke
Former American Pickers host Frank Fritz has suffered a stroke.
Celebrity Health Scares
“I have been very private in the past year in regards to Frank’s life and the journey he’s been on,” Mike Wolfe, Fritz’s former cohost, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, July 21, alongside a throwback snap of the 56-year-old. “There has been lots of opinions in regards to mine and Frank’s friendship and the show but now is not the time to set the record straight. Now is the time to pray for my friend.”
Wolfe, 58, noted in his social media message that the Iowa native had been hospitalized after his stroke.
“Please keep him in your hearts and thoughts,” the History Channel personality added on Thursday. “Frank I pray more than anything that you make it through this okay. I love you buddy.”
Fritz and Wolfe rose to fame cohosting American Pickers together for nearly a decade, traveling the country in search of antique treasures. Fritz, for his part, exited the docuseries last year after a public feud with Wolfe.
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“I have known Frank for as long as I can remember, he’s been like a brother to me. The journey that Frank, Dani [Colby], and I started back in 2009, like all of life, has come with its highs and lows, blessings and challenges, but it has also been the most rewarding,” the Illinois native previously told Us Weekly in a July 2021 statement. “I will miss Frank, just like all of you, and I pray for the very best and all good things for him on the next part of his journey.”
Fritz last appeared on American Pickers in March 2020 before he underwent back surgery amid health complications.
“I had a couple of rods put in there. It was from lifting stuff all the time. If you watch the show, you can see who the guy is that’s lifting all the time, it’s always me,” the former collector told The Sun in July 2021. “It had been hurting for a long, long time. I’m talking months and months and months. Finally I had it looked at and they said it was about ready to split in half, the bones going up in the middle of my spine.”
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He added: “They put a couple of big rods up the middle of my spine. I had to get 185 stitches and two rods in my back. I had the back injury but I can lift, I’m OK.”
Fritz has also battled Crohn’s Disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, for more than 30 years.
“There’s no cure, it’s like a dragon. Every day is a crap shoot,” he recalled to The Sun at the time. “One day I could have a double chimichanga with hot sauce pouring out of it and have no problem. Another day I could have a piece of toast with some scrambled eggs and have a flare-up. I haven’t had any flare-ups recently. I’ve been really good and quit drinking.”
