A pal of American Pickers’ Frank Fritz has challenged the late actuality star’s will 4 months after his dying, demanding a trial to find out his property.
In July 2022, Fritz suffered a stroke, and his well being by no means recovered. His family members later filed a conservatorship and guardianship on his behalf. He died on September 30, 2024, at 60 years previous.
In response to The U.S. Solar, Fritz’s lawyer filed a “will previous to dying” to “secure hold” the doc in October 2023, and a certificates was issued for approval of the desire on October 18, 2024, simply weeks after Fritz’s passing.
Nonetheless, the outlet experiences that on December 30, 2024, an lawyer representing a pal of Fritz’s entered his look within the case on her behalf. Then, on February 3, 2025, a separate lawyer filed a Petition in Probate to “put aside will and jury demand,” that means a request for the desire to be canceled or invalidated legally.
Fritz is estimated to have a web value of $6 million, per The U.S. Solar.
American Pickers debuted on The Historical past Channel in 2010 and noticed Fritz, Mike Wolfe, and others touring throughout the U.S. seeking uncommon Americana artifacts and nationwide treasures so as to add to their collections or promote of their vintage retailers. The present would turn out to be one of many community’s hottest packages.
Nonetheless, on July 21, 2021, the Historical past Channel introduced that Fritz would depart the collection. In an interview with The U.S. Solar on the time, Fritz revealed he’d sought therapy for alcohol abuse forward of his exit from the present and that he hadn’t spoken to Wolfe in two years. The pair later made up earlier than Fritz’s dying.
A longtime pal of Fritz, Jerry Gendreau, beforehand advised the publication that an public sale is deliberate for Fritz’s assortment of antiques. “That’s what I might do due to his fan base, I believe he’ll do actually, very well with an public sale,” Gendreau mentioned.
Gendreau additionally opened up about Fritz’s well being within the months earlier than his dying, sharing, “He felt actually, actually dangerous. You’ll go to see him within the nursing house and one-half of his physique was utterly performed. He would raise his arm up and it might simply drop. That’s received to be powerful to be completely bedridden.”
Whereas he mentioned some days have been higher than others, he revealed Fritz would develop “pissed off” as a result of he couldn’t say and do what he needed.
“I’ve seen this when folks get drained, they get drained. I believe should you don’t have the desire to reside, you received’t,” he said. “I believe Frank might’ve lived quite a bit longer if the desire to reside would’ve been there.”