High Ratings
Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ll probably know that “Pawn Stars” is a reality show that aired on the History Channel and ran for 17 highly successful seasons. The show continued to enthrall and entertain audiences even after one of the most beloved stars passed away.
One of the biggest things that drew viewers to the show was the family and their dynamics that played out on the show. This element lay at the very core of the show. But, as we know, all is not what it seems and there were troubles behind the scenes that no one could foresee.
New Page
Richard Harrison, founder of the business was born back in 1941. Sadly he grew up in rather poor surroundings. This ultimately led to him getting involved in a series of petty criminal activities. As such, it wasn’t long before he found himself in some hot water.
His life reached a critical crossroads when he was arrested for car theft. He was then offered a choice between going to jail or joining the navy. Not surprisingly Richard chose to join the navy where he ended up serving for 20 years. He even managed to achieve the rank of Petty Officer, First Class. When he left the navy, however, money was something he was in dire need of.
Business
While Richard served in the navy he had gotten married to the woman he loved, Joanne Rhue. While he was away at sea, Joanne had decided to start her own real estate business. This separation
Richard and Joanne also had three young sons to care for. As a result, when the real estate business started to fail it was a huge worry for the couple. Richard decided tha moving his family to a larger city might be a good way to help his family because he reasoned that there would be more opportunities there.
Sic Parvis Magna
Richard scraped together the little bit of money that he still had and moved his whole family to Las Vega, Nevada. Once there he found a small 300-square meter shop to rent where he started his business that bought and sold gold and silver coins.
His business began to flourish and soon he was able to expand. That was when his pawnshop really began to do well. That was when he knew that he had made the right decision when he made the move. That was when he decided to get his son Rick to join him.
Bonds Of Family
While working together, much like the business itself, the bond between Rick and his father simply grew from strength to strength. Soon they developed their own “good cop/bad cop” routine. This strategy allowed them to buy valuable items for quite cheap.
Working with his father like that helped Rick to develop and hone his negotiating skills which are naturally needed in a business like that. In fact, his shrewd negotiation tacts are one of the most popular elements of the show. While he’s best known, Rick isn’t the only son, he simply appears to be the most invested in the business.
Strife
As you might expect from a show that runs for 16 seasons, there were many highly charged moments and some very dramatic ones. Even through times of adversity, Richard and Rick’s bond just seemed to grow stronger.
Richard knew that one of the most important things is for business partners to trust each other, and that involving family in a business can cause quite a strain on the relationships. However, while his bond with Rick seemed unbreakable, he didn’t seem as close to the other children.
Idolized
Rick has never made a secret of the fact that he idolizes his father. This is part of why their father/son bond is so strong. But fortunately for them, they didn’t only share a strong bond as family but they also shared a very successful business.
Richard, on the other hand, also knew how fortunate he had been. Involving his son in the business could easily have caused problems or even driven a permanent wedge between them. While things seemed perfect, however, trouble was about to find them.
Death In The Family
Roughly when season 15’s finale aired, the world heard that Richard had finally passed as a result of Parkinson’s Disease. The devastating news of “Old Man” Harrison’s death also meant that there would be a huge hole left in the cast of the show.
Understandably Rick took the loss of his father and mentor very hard. He was absolutely heartbroken by what had happened. He had no way of knowing that the upcoming funeral would bring a new set of problems and highlight some skeletons.
Visual Drama
As can be expected from a show that ran for 17 seasons, there were some very tense moments between the family members involved in the business. The show didn’t only focus on the father/son dynamic duo and their good cop/bad cop tactics.
Other members of the family such as Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, Ricks grandson, as well as his close childhood friend Austin “Chumlee” Russell. It was Chumlee who lay at the center of most of the off-screen troubles.
The Will
Losing a father was a difficult enough process for Rick to go through, but Richard had one last moment of drama for his family. When someone passes away, they usually leave a will that declares what they would like to leave for their descendants.
But when Rick and his brothers were called into the lawyer's office to go through their father's will, they were shocked by their father's decisions.
Left Out
When the family reviewed Richard's will, they were shocked to see that he had left one of his children out of it. According to a part of the will that was released to the public, Richard said: “I would like to express my love and affection for Christopher Keith Harrison; however for purposes of this Will, I have intentionally and with full knowledge failed to provide for him and his issue.”
Why had Richard left Christopher out of his will? Everyone knew about the tensions between Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, and Austin “Chumlee” Russell, so why weren't they excluded?
Black Sheep
At one point, Rick confessed he’d considered firing Chumlee for his unruly behavior and careless decision-making, causing more tension in the family. At the height of his controversial lifestyle, Chumlee’s home was raided by police during an investigation into assault.
This didn’t sit well with Rick at all. But what they found in the house would damage the reputation of the family, making it difficult for Richard and Rick to support him. What they found shocked many fans too.
Sticking Together
Police found illicit substances and several guns in Chumlee’s house. The star got away with three years of probation and continues to appear on the show. His family and colleagues were quick to put aside their squabbles when Richard passed away.
Knowing the “Old Man” to be especially savvy with money, they were all curious to know what his final wishes would be. But they never expected to hear what the lawyer had to say.
Omission
When Rick sat in the lawyer’s office listening to the reading of their father’s will, he knew something was up. Despite being a shrewd businessman and accountant, Richard was usually very forthcoming about his affairs with them, so to hear this from a stranger in a suit was concerning.
They asked the lawyer to repeat what he’d just said.
‘Love And Affection’
The lawyer cleared his throat and re-read the passage, “I would like to express my love and affection for Christopher Keith Harrison; however for purposes of this will, I have intentionally and with full knowledge failed to provide for him and his issue.”
Christopher had not chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps and never appeared on the show alongside his brother Rick or nephew Corey. But that doesn't explain why he was cut out.
Unknown Brother
Many fans of the show will probably not even have heard Christopher's name mentioned up until now. The reason for this is that Christopher was the only child in the family who wasn't part of the family business.
But Christopher was still Richard's son. What had he done to get himself excluded from his father's will?
Out Of Business
Fans were left scratching their heads. Some suggest the reason Richard didn’t leave Christopher any money was simply due to the fact that he wasn’t involved in the business, therefore not entitled to any of the takings. But that doesn’t explain the remark about “his issue”.
Another fan commented, “Sorry, I actually would like to know why he was left off. Didn’t he get along with the other brother? Or just not the dad?” The family lawyers gave a statement saying there was no reason given to them, but that it was agreed before his passing.
Family Man
As the son who stood by his father’s side since he was small, Rick remembers him fondly, “He was my hero and I was fortunate to get a very cool ‘Old Man’ as my dad.”
“That I got to share him with so many others and they got to see what a great family man he was is something I am grateful to have experienced with him.”
A Mystery
Ultimately though, it seemed as though Richard’s reasons would have to remain a mystery for now. While Rick and his son Corey “Big Boss” Harrison had admitted to discussing this with his father earlier in their relationship, they have decided to keep his reasons for the decision a mystery.
While some have speculated that the decision was largely motivated by the fact that Christopher was not directly involved in the family business, we will probably never know the exact reasons…