American Pickers’ is setting the record straight about his friendship with late costar .
Shortly after Fritz departed from the series in 2021, he told The Sun that he hadn’t “talked to Mike in two years.” In reaction to the comment, Wolfe, 60, told Us Weekly in a statement that Fritz was “a brother to me.”
While opening up about their dynamic in an interview with People published on Monday, November 4, Wolfe admitted that the pals had a rift — but claimed he and Fritz “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.”
When he reunited with Fritz, Wolfe called the moment “beautiful.” Wolfe added, “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 and Fritz hosted American Pickers for 10 years after its 2010 debut. Two years after his 2021 departure, Fritz died at age 60 in September. His rep told TMZ in October that Fritz was in a hospice facility surrounded by friends at the time of his death, adding that the star died from the effects of a stroke. One day following Fritz’s death, Wolfe uploaded a sweet tribute for his pal via Instagram.
“It’s with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night,” Wolfe wrote in October. “I’ve known Frank for more than half my life and what you’ve seen on TV has always been what I have seen, a dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny. The same off camera as he was on, Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself.”
“Who would have ever dreamed we would share the cockpit of a white cargo van in front of millions of people interested in our adventures. Before the show we would take off together to places we never knew existed with no destination in mind and just the shared passion to discover something interesting and historic,” Wolfe continued. “We’ve been on countless trips and shared so many miles and I feel blessed that I was there by his side when he took one last journey home. I love you buddy and will miss you so much I know your [sic] in a better place.”
