Following the heartbreaking death of Frank Fritz, his American Pickers co-star Mike Wolfe has shared details about being by his childhood friend’s side in his final moments.
On October 1, Wolfe shared the heartbreaking news that Wolfe had tragically passed away at the age of 60.
The two stars became household names on the beloved History Channel reality series, which saw the friends turn trash into treasure in more than 300 episodes together.
“It’s with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night,” Wolfe wrote at the time.
Fritz had experienced several health battles in recent years, with TMZ later reporting that Fritz’s cause of death was listed as a “late sequela of cerebral infarction,” which means he suffered from a stroke.
TMZ reported that the stroke was a result of cerebral vascular disease – a condition that impacts blood flow and blood vessels in the brain. The American Pickers star had also reportedly suffered from aortic stenosis, a chronic condition that restricts blood flow throughout the body.
Both the latter conditions were said to be contributing factors to Fritz’s death.
Now, in a heartbreaking interview regarding Fritz’s death, Wolfe has shared a candid look at their final moments together following a friendship of more than 40 years.
Fritz had stepped away from the spotlight during the show’s 21st season in 2020, marking a temporary pause in their long-standing partnership. Despite reports of a previous falling-out, Wolfe was able to reconcile with Fritz, creating an opportunity for a heartfelt farewell.
“I got the call that he wasn’t doing well. I just feel blessed that I was able to get there,” Wolfe shared with PEOPLE magazine. He detailed the poignant moments at Fritz’s bedside: “I was there for about an hour before he passed, and I was holding his hand and rubbing his chest when he took his last breath.
“I took my fingers and I closed his eyes.”
At Fritz’s side were close family friends, including Wolfe’s mom and Fritz’s late mother’s best friend, Annette.
Wolfe recalled the last words he shared, affirming his deep affection and forgiveness. “I just told him that I wasn’t mad at him and that I loved him and that I cared about him so much,” Wolfe said.
As Fritz struggled in his final moments, Wolfe comforted him: “Just go find your mom. Go find her right now. Just go find her.”
Reflecting on their storied history, Wolfe reminisced about their initial connection in middle school in Iowa and the journey that led them to television fame. Fritz’s unwavering support was pivotal when Wolfe was conceptualizing American Pickers, a show that would later become a flagship program on the History Channel after its launch in January 2010.
“He was an extremely hard worker. He was like no one I’d ever met in my whole life,” Wolfe admired. Describing Fritz’s personality, he added: “He was very sensitive. He was very caring. He was extremely funny. His sense of comedic timing was unbelievable.”
Despite their on-screen chemistry, the pair faced rumors of a rift when Fritz abruptly left the show. Fritz required extensive back surgery that left him with 185 stitches and two rods in his spine.
Fritz himself had opened up about his struggles with alcoholism and the isolation he felt after spending 77 days in rehab.
“[Wolfe] knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing,” Fritz had told The Sun in 2021.
Wolfe addressed these comments with candor: “There was a lot of noise. That’s a nice way to put it,” acknowledging the complexity of their relationship.
“This is so hard for me to talk about, because there were a lot of things that were said that weren’t true, and I always continued to pray for him. But unfortunately, the things that we want for someone… sometimes [it’s] just not enough, and they have to want these things for themselves,” Wolfe told PEOPLE.
Wolfe went on to describe Fritz’s time away from the show and his back surgery as a “perfect storm” for his co-star becoming “addicted to opioids”.
After attempting to hold an intervention for Fritz, Wolfe was told by his friend that “he was just going to handle everything on his own”.
Shortly after the intervention, Wolfe bumped into Fritz, who told him that he was doing “fine”.
“And then like a month later, he was gone,” Wolfe reflected.
Once again, our thoughts go out to Fritz’s family, friends, and loved ones at this time.
