Summary
- Rick Harrison is being sued by his own mother over ownership of the pawn shop, causing a family dispute.
- Chumlee from Pawn Stars was arrested on drug and weapon charges, as well as being investigated for sexual assault.
- Johnny Jimenez Jr., a toy expert on the show, was arrested for domestic violence after an altercation with his girlfriend.
Pawn Stars cast members have been a part of many a controversy since its premiere in July 2009. The History Channel show has completed 21 seasons so far and has become a global phenomenon thanks to its subject - the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. Manager and part owner Rick Harrison had been unsuccessfully trying to pitch a show based on the Las Vegas-based shop for four years. Originally titled Pawning History, the reality TV show picked a pun for its name and started documenting the daily activities taking place at the Nevada shop.
Gold & Silver Pawn Shop was originally operated by patriarch Richard "Old Man" Harrison, his son Rick Harrison, Rick's son Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison, and Corey's childhood friend, Austin "Chumlee" Russell. The men bought, sold, and assessed items of historical value, or even just plain junk – from super rare Pokémon cards to sunken treasure from the Taj Mahal. However, amid all the fun and games, several major scandals shook the world of Pawn Stars. A quick roundup of all the background drama that has made the show controversial from the start.
Rick Harrison Was Sued By His Own Mother
Joanne Harrison filed suit against her son Rick on February 24, 2022. The mother of the Las Vegas pawn shop owner named her son, his store, and other properties owned by him and the family in the lawsuit. Joanne claimed Rick was being uncooperative with family business affairs. Joanne claimed that she and “The Old Man” began their Las Vegas pawn shop business in 1981. Richard owned 49 percent of the shares and Joanne owned 51 percent of the business, which was then known as G&S Coin Shop. According to Wonderwall. Joanne was in a coma in or around 2000/2001 and was being cared for in the ICU at Valley Hospital.
The lawsuit mentioned that Rick apparently made Joanne sign his mother over her 51 percent ownership interest in the Pawn Shop to him when he was still in the hospital and recovering from the coma. “Joanne did not know or fully understand what she was allegedly signing at the time,” the report added. As per Joanne, she inherited Richard’s shares when he died in 2018 after 58 years of being married. As per DailyMail, Rick broke a longstanding agreement when he stopped sending her the money from Richard’s share of the business.
Rick had been making regular monthly payments of $25,000 to his mom, but according to her claims in the lawsuit, he stopped in 2020. In March 2022, Joanne filed a temporary restraining order against her son to get him to stop “siphoning” off assets. Meanwhile, Rick claimed that his mother was being “manipulated” by some others who were not looking out for her “best interests” in his statement through a spokesperson. He said he had tried to reach Joanne several times but was unable to do so. As per Rick, one of the companies his mom was suing was owned “100 percent” by Joanne.
Chumlee Investigated For Sexual Assault, Busted For Drugs & Weapons
USAToday reported that Austin Lee, also known as Chumlee to millions of Pawn Stars viewers was being held in a Las Vegas jail following his arrest on felony weapon and drug charges in March 2016. His arrest stemmed from the discovery of regulated and contraband material at his home in Southwest Las Vegas. Authorities were carrying out a search warrant issued as part of an investigation into a sexual assault allegation concerning Chumlee (via Looper.) However, they went on to discover methamphetamines, marijuana, and a firearm in Chumlee’s house. He was booked on a total of 19 drug charges and a single weapons charge.
The assault complaint was filed by a woman in the area. Chumlee posted a $62,000 bail before release. He supposedly accepted a plea deal in which he had to plead guilty to only the felony weapons charge, which was unlawful possession of a firearm. Chumlee had to complete three years of probation and counseling with the possibility of facing two to five years in prison if he violated the terms. His other charges were to be reduced to misdemeanors. No charges were ever filed in the sexual assault case that had led to the charges. Chumlee had been cleared after forfeiting the guns and drugs that had been seized.
Johnny Jimenez Jr. Arrested For Battery & Domestic Violence
Johnny Jimenez Jr, the toy expert in Pawn Stars was arrested on charges of domestic violence against his girlfriend in November 2015, as per UsWeekly. He allegedly pulled his girlfriend to the ground outside a Las Vegas restaurant in the early hours of the morning. Cops were called to the restaurant. Johnny’s girlfriend was allegedly intoxicated, and he tried to get her back inside the restaurant when he happened to pull on her purse strap, causing her to take a fall. Johnny later provided a statement to KTNV Action News explaining his side of the incident.
Johnny said they were out celebrating his birthday party with friends and family and arrived at the Casino at 4 am to go on their own. “My girlfriend was extremely intoxicated,” he added in his statement. He admitted that he should have just gone to his room, but he was trying to get some food for his girlfriend to sober up, but it was “really hard to do.” Johnny mentioned there were surveillance cameras that had captured him trying to pick his girlfriend off the floor on “multiple occasions.” He claimed she, was wearing, 4-inch stiletto boots which made matters difficult.
Johnny maintained that he had been “nothing but good” to his girlfriend and was a single dad who loved taking care of his friends and family even though his “shaved head” made him look like a “big scary guy.” He was disappointed that the police had not gotten their “facts” right before handcuffing him when he was trying to hold on to his girlfriend’s hand and purse to help keep her standing straight.
Disabled Vietnam Veteran Sued The Harrisons For Assault
Rick and his father Richard were sued by a disabled Vietnam vet in May 2012. New York Post reported that the man named Daniel Callahan, 62, claimed that the father-son duo had roughed him up in their Las Vegas Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in the fall of 2011. He filed a civil suit in Clark County District Court and accused Rick and Richard of assaulting him. The man who walked with a cane was asking for $20,000 in total damages. He allegedly got into a dispute with the reality TV stars, and they allegedly placed him in a “chokehold” before they “dragged him through the store.”
He accused Rick and Richard of throwing him onto the sidewalk along with a Model 96B rifle he had brought in to have appraised. Daniel asked for the payment of his medical expenses related to the alleged incident and the payment of his legal fees. The Harrisons' attorney had no comments to offer at the time.
Olivia Black Was Fired From Pawn Stars For Racy Past
Olivia was hired back in 2012 but was fired after appearing in only 13 episodes of Pawn Stars. As per Looper, there is a rule that one is not allowed to have any naughty photos of themselves circulating online if one is a part of the show’s cast. Olivia was let go from the show when throwback photos from her time with SuicideGirls circulated online. Olivia filed a lawsuit against the production company. She was able to keep working at the shop but wasn’t able to show up on camera. However, Olivia did end up quitting her position soon enough.
Pawn Stars Do America airs Wednesdays on The History Channel at 8/7c
Source: Wonderwall. DailyMail, Pawn Stars/YouTube, USAToday, Looper, UsWeekly, New York Post, Looper