FRANK’S NIGHTMARE American Pickers alum Frank Fritz’s battle with Crohn’s & broken back ‘led to painkiller addiction’ before deadly stroke

AMERICAN Pickers alum Frank Fritz’s battle with Crohn’s and back surgery contributed to his painkiller addiction before he suffered a stroke that left him debilitated.

Frank died on September 30 at the age of 60, two years after he suffered a stroke in July 2021.

The fan-favorite last appeared on American Pickers in March 2020 to undergo back surgery.

He was officially fired from the series in 2021.

In an interview with People, Mike, 59, revealed Frank’s struggle with opioid addiction and how he was let go from the series when he was unable to provide negative drug tests.

A source exclusively claimed to The U.S. Sun how Frank’s substance abuse battle began.

“Because of Frank’s battle with Crohn’s, he was on medication that left his bones weak. When he broke his back, he needed to undergo surgery.

“That’s when he got addicted to pain medication,” the insider claimed.

Crohn’s is a bowel disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract.

The source alleged that Frank “went to rehab twice” to combat his addiction issues.

HISTORY WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE
In a July 2021 interview with The U.S. Sun, Frank revealed he entered treatment for alcohol abuse at The Abbey Center in Bettendorf, Iowa for 77 days.

Frank said at the time, “I went to rehab and I’ve been sober now for 11 months.

“I didn’t like drinking anymore. My mom was an alcoholic and she died five years ago and it was alcohol-related. My grandfather was an alcoholic and he died. That didn’t sit well with me.”

Frank said of his time in treatment, “They gave me a lot of information and we were booked up for 13 or 14 hours a day. There was no sitting around watching TV or eating food. You were scheduled out for an hour, then an hour and half, all through the day.

“They really give you a lot of one-on-one time. I read 12 self-help books while I was there. I didn’t f**k around. I really got into it. I went there to learn and get the most out of it that I possibly could.

“I had a great time there and I helped other people who were having problems too. It’s one of the best things that have happened to me.”

Frank went to meetings “twice a week” when he got out.

If it weren’t for a relapse, he would’ve been sober for a year at the time of the interview, he said.

“It was maybe for four hours, but it was enough,” Frank said of the relapse. “The next day I went to a meeting and I got right back on track.

“I don’t think I’ll ever have a drink again because I don’t like the feeling anymore and some of the dumb things that I did.”

Frank added, “I’d still like to get back to my job, I miss my friends and my people and being on the road and meeting all those different characters.”

But Mike announced Frank’s firing from the series soon after.

“I have known Frank for as long as I can remember, he’s been like a brother to me. The journey that Frank, Dani and I started back in 2009, like all of life, has come with its highs and lows, blessings and challenges, but it has also been the most rewarding,” he wrote.

“The support that you all have given us has been a constant reminder of what the show’s message has always been; thru these places, people, and things we all have a common thread. We’re here to not only take care of the past, but also each other.

“I will miss Frank, just like all of you, and I pray for the very best and all good things for him on the next part of his journey.”

FEUDING COSTARS
During Frank’s 2021 interview with The U.S. Sun, he also went into his feud with longtime costar and friend Mike.

Frank said at the time, “I haven’t talked to Mike in two years. He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is.

“The show is tilted towards him 1,000 percent. I can’t even bend that far down to show you how much.

“That’s fine. It’s like you’ve got Aerosmith and there’s Steven Tyler and he’s the front man. I found my spot, I’m second and he’s number one on the show. That’s no problem with me, maybe he does have a problem.”

Frank then said it would be “hard” to “put the show on after not talking to somebody for two years.”

Frank added, “I’m just trying to get through life like everybody else and be as happy as I possibly can. Life is what you put into it. If you don’t put much into it you don’t get a lot out of it.”

‘THE PERFECT STORM’
During Mike’s interview with People, he explained how during the pandemic, Frank injured his back while moving items around his Iowa home and underwent surgery.

“With that time off and him having surgery, it was like the perfect storm. He became addicted to opioids, and that’s when everything changed,” Mike said.

“Here’s the deal. I don’t have the right to tell his story — only he does. But I do have, I feel, the right to tell the personal story of how myself and so many people struggled to navigate what was going on in his life.”

Mike said he staged an intervention with Frank’s loved ones.

“I remember running into him like a month later,” Mike said. “He said he was just going to handle everything on his own, and I asked him how he was doing. He said, ‘I’m fine. I’m fine. No, I’m really fine.’ And then like a month later, he was gone.

“And so watching Frank doing some of the things that he was doing, it was really hard.”

But Mike claims Frank continued to struggle with addiction when filming started, as they “fought really hard to get him into rehab” and he “never, ever gave up” on his friend.

Mike claimed production asked Frank for negative drug tests, but he didn’t provide them.

Mike said the network “just finally made the decision,” despite the star’s “mixed emotions about doing that.”

Despite the firing and feud, the two ultimately made up, as Mike said of the reunion, “It was beautiful. 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.”

HEALTH CRISIS
In July 2022, Frank suffered a stroke at his Iowa farmhouse.

Frank’s close friends filed a guardianship and conservatorship for him soon after because his “decision­-making capacity” was “so impaired.”

He remained in rehabilitation until his death on September 30, 2024.

Mike told People of Frank’s final moments, “I got the call that he wasn’t doing well. I just feel blessed that I was able to get there. I was there for about an hour before he passed, and I was holding his hand and rubbing his chest when he took his last breath.

“I took my fingers and I closed his eyes.”

“I just told him that I wasn’t mad at him and that I loved him and that I cared about him so much. And then when I could see that he was struggling, I just said, ‘Just go find your mom. Go find her right now. Just go find her.’”

Mike said of his friend, “He was an extremely hard worker. He was like no one I’d ever met in my whole life.

“He was a beautiful, beautiful person that, to be honest with you, who knows what our lives would’ve been like if there was never a show. I just want people to know who he was.”

REMEMBERING FRANK
Frank appeared on American Pickers from 2010 to 2020.

Mike dedicated Season 26, which is airing now, to his beloved friend.

The show now stars Mike, his brother Robbie Wolfe, Danielle Colby and Jon “Jersey Jon” Szalay.