Fans of the popular show “Pawn Stars” are coming together to offer their condolences to Rick Harrison, a cherished figure in reality TV. Sadly, Rick has recently faced another tough moment in his life. Just over a year after his son Adam’s tragic passing, Rick’s mother, Joanne Harrison, has also passed away at the age of 85.
Two of His Closest People
Joanne passed away in a hospital in Las Vegas on Wednesday, as confirmed by Rick’s representative, Laura Herlovich, to TMZ. “Rick is handling things privately,” she mentioned.
Rick, who is well-known at 60 years old as both a businessman and TV star, is now grieving the loss of two very close people in his life: his mother and his son. Back on January 19, 2024, Adam Harrison, who was one of Rick’s three boys, passed away at the young age of 39. The coroner in Las Vegas stated that his untimely death was due to accidental toxicity from fentanyl and methamphetamine.
A Loss to Overdose
Following the tragic news, Rick confirmed to TMZ:
“Yes, I can confirm Adam died from a fentanyl overdose. The fentanyl crisis in this country must be taken more seriously. It seems it is just flowing over the borders and nothing is being done about it. We must do better.”
Rick also posted a heartfelt message on Instagram at that time, saying, “You will always be in my heart! I love you Adam.”
In a revealing interview with Graham Bessinger this March, Rick shared the deep pain of losing his son. “I think about him every day,” he revealed. “In his 20s, he had the drug problems, I mean, I put him in rehab so many times, and every time he’d do great and then fall back; you’ll hear the same story from a million people. It got really, really bad, and apparently it wasn’t heroin, he got some fentanyl and it killed him.”
The Loss of His Father in 2018
The beloved Pawn Stars personality admitted Adam’s departure changed his outlook on life. “When you lose a child, you second-guess everything. It’s like, ‘Could I have done this? Could I have done that?’ It goes through your mind constantly. There’s not a day that goes by I don’t think about him and wonder if I could have done something differently. I believe I did everything right.”
Sadly, Joanne and Adam’s passing adds to the other losses Rick has endured in recent years. In 2018, Rick’s father, Richard “Old Man” Harrison, who was a prominent figure on Pawn Stars, succumbed to Parkinson’s disease.
When this happened, Rick paid tribute to his father through a heartfelt post on Instagram, highlighting that Richard “lived a very full life” and through their show “touched the lives of people all over.”
Currently, many fans are reaching out with love and support for Rick as he experiences yet another heart-wrenching loss. For a man who has filled millions of living rooms with joy, history, and laughter through Pawn Stars, this recent sorrow has touched many, serving as a reminder that he is not alone in his grief.
