Popular antiquing favorite American Pickers might be a fun and breezy little viewing experience, but unfortunately, behind the scenes the reality show has been anything but tranquil. Co-star Frank Fritz went to rehab and was ultimately let go from the series, and other lead Mike Wolfe has been working his way through a time consuming and expensive divorce. Those legal proceedings finally concluded earlier this month after about a year, and if the circulating reports are to be believed, the experience was quite costly.
The Sun posted a pretty extensive breakdown of the divorce judgment, which was handed down December 6th, and according to the outlet, a judge ruled Mike Wolfe needs to pay his now ex-wife $5,228,878.73. In addition, the couple also split up the four houses and eleven commercial properties they own. Mike will also hold on to the Antique Archeology stores and associated businesses and pay Jodi a percentage of the royalties American Pickers generates. They’re also going to divide custody with her having their daughter about sixty percent of the time and him having her about forty percent of the time.
In the aftermath of the couple’s separation, rumors started swirling that Wolfe was dating former reality star Leticia Cline. She was previously on Beauty And The Geek and has made a lot of pop culture related appearances including on Howard Stern and as a model in Playboy and Maxim. The two were spotted in some pictures together, but they’ve largely been quiet about their relationship. It’s unclear what their relationship may or may not be now.
The behind the scenes drama more directly related to American Pickers has been a central topic of conversation for fans over the past few years. After dealing with some back problems, co-star Frank Fritz took a break from the show… and never came back. Questions amongst fans as to what was going on started getting louder, and ultimately, there was a pretty ugly back-and-forth between everyone involved in the show.
Fritz later accused Mike Wolfe of not reaching out after he had his back problems. He also said some things about the two never really being friends. In response, co-star Danielle Colby released her own statement saying Fritz needed help and she was hoping he would get better. Wolfe also released his own statement that indicated Fritz would not be returning.
No doubt all of this has been a lot for Mike Wolfe. It’s been hard to even keep up with as a fan. I can’t imagine the strain he’s been under. Hopefully everyone involved will be able to put all of this behind and move forward with renewed positivity. And if we get some more awesome American Pickers episodes out of it, that’ll be a nice bonus.
