Inside 'American Pickers' Star Frank Fritz And Danielle Colby's Relationship Today

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When American Pickers first debuted on A&E in 2010, the show made Mike Wolfe, Danielle Colby, and Frank Fritz famous overnight. However, unlike other reality shows that have depended on drama for ratings from the beginning, that wasn't the case for American Pickers.

While some truly incredible things took place during American Pickers episodes, the show mainly focused on its stars finding valuable items and their friendships. At least, that was the case until relatively recently.

Related: 15 Surprising Facts About The Making Of American Pickers

Over the last couple of years, American Pickers has been the subject of a great deal of controversy due to feuds and tragically serious health scares. As a result of all that drama, a lot of attention has been paid to Wolfe and Fritz's relationship.

Since Frtiz and Wolfe have been associated with each other for more than a decade, the interest in their relationship makes perfect sense. However, a lot of American Pickers fans don't know where Fritz's relationship with his other costar, Colby, stands today.

Are Frank Fritz And Danielle Colby Still Friends?

Since Frank Fritz's tenure starring in American Pickers came to an end, both of his former costars have continued to be a part of the popular show. With that in mind, some people may assume that Danielle Colby has sided with Mike Wolfe and turned her back on Fritz.

Related: How Robbie Wolfe's Career Was Boosted By Frank Getting Fired From 'American Pickers'

In reality, that is a completely unfair assumption to make. Despite that, people who made that assumption didn't have their mindset challenged at first since Colby initially remained silent about her relationship with Fritz after he left the show.

Several months after Fritz's departure, Colby broke her silence on the subject with a lengthy Instagram post. At that time, Colby revealed that she still cared about Fritz and wanted the best for him.

"I’m truly saddened for the loss of Frank on the show. I’m incredibly sad for his struggles. I have personally watched everything over the last decade. I have many thoughts but won’t speak them as they are only my my thoughts, not gospel."

"I wish things could have been different but we must be accountable for our actions when we cause instability or pain and suffering to others. Frank caused so much pain for himself that it has been hard to watch."

"I truly hope Frank receives all the help he needs to become well after years of being unwell. It is not my place to speak Ill of someone who needs help so I will keep my comments uplifting."

On top of expressing that she wanted Fritz to become healthy, Colby also explained that she was speaking out about the situation to correct the tabloid reporting.

"I’m sending love to everyone. The only reason I’m speaking to this right now is because everybody is speculating on my words and my words are being taken out of context in tabloid rags because they can’t interview me because I will not interview with a tabloid rag."

"So if you wanna know how I feel. Here’s exactly how I feel. I hope everybody gets well. I hope everybody continues to love each other even through the hard s**t."

Where Is American Pickers' Frank Fritz Now?

Thanks to Danielle Colby's Instagram post about her former costar, her feelings on Frank Frtiz seem very clear. On the other hand, Fritz has never spoken about Colby since all the drama took place, and he left American Pickers.

Related: The Truth About Frank Fritz From 'American Pickers'

Unfortunately, based on news about Fritz that has recently come to light, it seems very unlikely that his feelings on Colby will be revealed anytime soon. The reason for that is Fritz is reportedly going through some very hard times.

In the past, Fritz has been diagnosed with Crohn's disease, he has required major back surgery, and he has struggled with addiction. Despite all of that, it seems like Fritz is currently facing an even greater challenge.

In October 2022, it was revealed that Fritz had suffered a stroke. Anyone who has gone through the same thing or seen a loved one recover from a stroke will know how difficult that can be.

Even with that in mind, Fritz's stroke recovery process has taken a surprising turn. After all, just like the situation that Britney Spears previously found herself in, Fritz has been placed in guardianship according to court documents attained by the Des Moines Register.

“'Because of his stroke, Mr. Fritz’s decision-making capacity is so impaired that he is unable to care for his own safety, or to provide for necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, or medical care' states a petition for guardianship filed in August. He is also 'unable to make, communicate, or carry out important decisions concerning his own financial affairs.'"

“There are sufficient allegations to warrant appointment of a guardian and conservator on an emergency basis, including a letter from the Protected Party’s physician indicating he is unable to make decisions for himself.”

At the time of this writing, one of Fritz's longtime friends is in charge of his welfare and a local bank has control over his finances.

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