Fans of “Pawn Stars” will know that the heart of the show is the strong relationship between the family that runs the store. It's clear to everyone that Richard loved his son Rick dearly, and it showed. But the secret “Old Man” Harrison was holding left fans shell-shocked, and it wasn’t long before the details began to emerge.
Huge Ratings
"Pawn Stars" is a hugely successful reality TV show from the History Channel that has run for 17 seasons. It has continued to captivate audiences despite the death of one of its main stars. But while fans have gotten a kick out of watching the family dynamic play out on screen, no one could have guessed what was really going on behind the scenes.
Straight And Narrow
The store's founder and the father of the family, Richard Harrison, was born in 1941. He had come from a poor background and soon found himself involved in a life of petty crime. This life of crime pushed Richard to a breaking point when he was caught attempting to steal a car. In order to avoid a prison sentence, Richard decided to enlist in the Navy instead. He served for 20 years and was eventually promoted to the rank of Petty Officer, First Class. But when Richard returned from the Navy, he needed cash.
Family Business
By this time, Richard had married the love of his life, Joanne Rhue. While Richard was serving in the Navy, Joanne was trying to get a small real-estate business of the ground. With three young sons to support, the couple were devastated when Joanne's business started to fail. Richard knew that he needed to do something to save his family. Perhaps moving to a city with more opportunities would be the best option?
Starting Small
With the small amount of cash they still had left, Richard and his family moved to Las Vegas in Nevada. There, he rented a small 300-square meter space for his business, where he bought and sold gold and silver coins. Eventually, he was able to expand his business. The pawnshop began to turn a profit and Richard realized that he was onto something. So he decided to enlist the help of his oldest son, Rick.
Family Bond
While the family business continued to grow, Richard and his son's bond grew too. Together, they'd developed a strategy -- working a "good cop/bad cop" routine in order to buy antiques and high-value goods for the lowest price possible. Through his experience, Rick was able to develop strong negotiation skills, which he put to good use in the store. This trait has, in many ways, become the trademark of his business and character on the show. But not all of Richard's sons were as involved in the family business...
Drama
Pawn Stars has had 16 seasons with many emotional and dramatic events. Nevertheless, the strong bond between Rick and his father continued to strengthen over the years. Each moment of family drama and rare find for the store has only cemented their dynamic relationship. Richard knew how important it was for business partners to have a trusting relationship -- the strain of running a business together can really take a toll on a family. However, Richard's bond with his other children wasn't as strong.
Personal Hero
Everyone knows that Richard is Rick's hero. There's no denying the special bond between the father and son. And the pair have more than just their lives to share together, they have a growing business as well. Richard knew how lucky he was that he managed to avoid the destruction that bringing family members into a business can often bring. However, tragedy was just around the corner.
Tragic Loss
Richard passed away from Parkinson’s disease around the end of the airing of season 15, leaving a huge hole in the show’s lineup of colorful characters. With his father and mentor gone, Rick was absolutely heartbroken. But it wasn’t until after the funeral that it was revealed just how strained the "Old Man's" relationship with his son was.
Onscreen Drama
Over its 17 seasons, “Pawn Stars” has seen several tense moments between the antiquity and precious metal dealers. On top of the father-son team playing good cop/bad cop with customers, the show also features Rick’s grandson Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, and Corey’s childhood friend Austin “Chumlee” Russell. It’s with the latter where most of the behind-the-scenes trouble began.
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. But what they found in the house would damage the reputation of the family, making it difficult for Richard and Rick to support him.
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…