‘American Pickers’ Star Mike Wolfe Opens Up About Late Frank Fritz’s Opioid Addiction – ‘Everything Changed’

The former American Pickers star Frank Fritz died on September 30 at the age of 60. This came two years after he suffered a devastating stroke that he never fully recovered from.

Now, Fritz’s co-star and best friend Mike Wolfe is opening up about the late reality television star’s devastating opioid addiction.

Fritz’s Opioid Addiction

“Here’s the deal,” Wolfe, 60, told People Magazine. “I don’t have the right to tell his story — only he does. But I do have, I feel, the right to tell the personal story of how myself and so many people struggled to navigate what was going on in his life.”

When the pandemic hit, Wolfe said that he and Fritz were both dealing with “relationships that were falling apart.” It was during this time that Fritz injured his back and had to undergo surgery.

“With that time off and him having surgery, it was like the perfect storm,” Wolfe recalled. “He became addicted to opioids, and that’s when everything changed.”

Wolfe went on to say that one month after the intervention, “I remember running into him… He said he was just going to handle everything on his own, and I asked him how he was doing. He said, ‘I’m fine. I’m fine. No, I’m really fine.'”

It soon became clear that Fritz was still struggling.

“Watching Frank doing some of the things that he was doing, it was really hard,” Wolfe admitted.

Related: ‘American Pickers’ Star Frank Fritz’s Final Wish To Be Granted With Memorial Motorcycle Ride

Wolfe ‘Never, Ever Gave Up’ On Fritz

When American Pickers eventually began filming again, Wolfe “fought really hard to get [Fritz] into rehab.” Though Wolfe “never, ever gave up” on his friend, Fritz couldn’t provide negative drug tests when asked for them.

“The network just finally made the decision,” Wolfe recounted. “They’re just like, ‘Listen, we have to move on. We have to keep going with this.’ I had mixed emotions about doing that… and we were just trying to figure out what we were going to do.”

Though Wolfe and Fritz had a rift afterwards, they “never disconnected.”

“I stepped away for a little because I was watching what he was doing, but I still fought for him to go to rehab and I still had those conversations,” he said. “I never stepped away from him completely. That would be impossible for me to do. But I watched all of it unfold. I tried to help him as best I could, and we did speak.”

Related: Mike Wolfe Was Holding His ‘American Pickers’ Co-Star Frank Fritz’s Hand When He Took His ‘Last’ Breath

Wolfe And Fritz Reconcile

Thankfully, Wolfe and Fritz reconciled before the latter’s death.

“It was beautiful,” Wolfe said. “He was struggling with addiction. I know how judgmental the public can be. And so that’s why when we did end up speaking again, it was so easy for me to forgive him because I knew it wasn’t him talking. It was his addiction talking.”

Wolfe was by Fritz’s side holding his hand when he took his final breath on September 30. Addiction is sadly something that touches millions of lives every day. While it’s sad that Fritz had to fight this addiction battle, we can all find comfort in knowing that he is at peace!