The “Pawn Stars” Instagram account stated in 2021 that the return of all-new episodes would feature some of the “oddest, oldest, and rarest artifacts we’ve ever seen.”. For a program running since 2009, that is a challenging goal.
Within a year of its debut, “Pawn Stars” reportedly rose to the position of “the most watched program on ad-supported cable.”. The program also saw the highest-ever viewership numbers in History. Due to this, the network has been reluctant to end its rating powerhouse, despite the numerous disputes and scandals that have plagued the program.
Friction and humiliation are inevitable when photographing open 24/7 pawn shops in Las Vegas, Nevada. Then there is Richard “Old Man” Harrison, Rick Harrison, Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, and Austin “Chumlee” Russell from the Gold and Silver Pawn shop, who has been Corey’s lifelong friend.
Given the cast, the nature of the business, and the distinctly diverse range of customers they deal with daily, “Pawn Stars” was always going to deliver drama, both on and off-screen. However, the amount of acting is far above all expectations. Get ready for some popcorn as we analyze the major scandals that engulfed Pawn Stars.
The “Pawn Stars” cast has experienced its fair share of legal troubles. In 2014, they were embroiled in yet another legal battle, this time over allegations that they had melted down a collection of stolen ancient coins. According to ABC News, David Walters alleged in a criminal complaint submitted to the Clark County Justice Court that in 2013, his niece, Jennifer Beckman, stole his pricey coin treasure and sold it to the Gold Exchange.
Beckman’s haul was claimed by Walters at Gold. Walters alerted the authorities as soon as he realized the coins were missing, but when the officers approached Gold”.
According to the best of my knowledge, the unidentifiable coins may have been melted down, a company spokeswoman told Fox News. Maybe they were sold. They might be sitting in coin-filled buckets in the waiting room”.
The representative then contested Walters’ assessment of $50,000. She said, “These coins were considered less valuable than the guy thought they were,” before pointing out that none of the “Pawn Stars” cast members had engaged in any wrongdoing.
Pawnbrokers deal with a variety of people, including those who are strapped for cash, in need of immediate assistance, opportunistic, and everyday Joes looking for a good deal. Rick Harrison has witnessed them all, and in an interview with NPR, he shared his favorite “deals and thefts.”.
The busiest time at the store, according to Harrison, is right before a major boxing match. He acknowledged, “I’m not sure what it is about fight fans. They never bet more than they can afford to lose, says the man”.
Harrison later acknowledged serving a specific clientele—pimples—as an unauthorized bail bondsman. They send someone to bring their jewelry down to me each time they are apprehended, he said. I’ll lend them their bail money, which is equivalent to half of what they paid for it”.
The second-generation pawnbroker is not necessarily a liberal in all spheres of society, even though he enjoys the lifestyle of a pimp. It’s the exact opposite. When asked about his love for Marco Rubio in a CNN interview, Harrison’s transphobia came to light.
He added that in some cities, men are permitted to use women’s restrooms if they have the impression that they are females. “I can assure you that some terrible men who want to use a bathroom with young women will take advantage of it. If such a law is passed, that is what will occur”.
On a drunken night out in Jefferson City in 2014, Corey Harrison gave a performance that the appropriately named Spectators Club is probably never going to forget. When Corey and several other biker friends decided to stop in Missouri’s state capital, they were, according to RadarOnline, on a sponsored motorcycle tour. Before going out, Harrison allegedly partied hard for seven nights in a row.
“Corey had been on the road with us the entire week and had been drinking every night. But one witness said, “On this particular night, he was pretty inebriated. “When we entered the bar, it was clear that things wouldn’t go well. You could tell it would turn out badly because of how messy, inebriated, and rude he was”.
Harrison exposed himself and urinated in public after consuming “copious amounts of shots,” possibly motivated by Missouri’s nickname of “Show Me State.”.
According to a source who spoke to Radar, “He pulled his pants down and peed on a bar stool, and he was very pleased with it.” The source added that a member of the staff had to use a towel to clean up after him. The show was still going on, though. Harrison was expelled from the venue after posing for fan photos while wearing only his underwear and “picking up a bar stool and throwing it.”.
Corey later expressed regret for his drunken misbehavior. He admitted to E! News, “Not my finest hour.”. I sincerely regret my inappropriate behavior and want to apologize to everyone. ” I sincerely regret this. “.
One of the “Pawn Stars” cast members who are without a doubt the shadiest is Austin “Chumlee” Russell. TMZ claims that in 2012, he was caught on camera fighting with a man in Hollywood before escaping the scene.
The victim was lying bleeding and battered by the side of the road, but Chumlee insisted he was acting in “self-defense” because the victim “threatened to draw a pistol” on him and his friends. “Instinct took control and acted first. According to him, the man was unaware that he had been featured on television. I merely wanted to cause trouble by riding in our car”.
Chumlee’s participation in the incident four years later was therefore not justified. Russell was taken into custody in 2016 “on suspicion of 20 offenses,” the Chicago Tribune reports”.
Authorities raided Russell’s home to look into claims that he had sexually assaulted women, and then they arrested him. Even though the allegations of sexual assault were ultimately dropped, Chumlee was now faced with a new legal ordeal because of what had been found during the raid.
Cannabis, meth, and Xanax were among the drugs that were found by police, according to TMZ. They also discovered 12 weapons, eight of which were unregistered, and traces of cocaine.
To avoid going to jail, Chumlee eventually entered a guilty plea. Russell admitted “guilty to a felony weapons charge — unlawful possession of a firearm — and a gross misdemeanor of attempted narcotics possession,” according to USA Today.
A 62-year-old disabled Vietnam veteran was allegedly choked and mistreated by Richard and Rick Harrison, according to the New York Post. Daniel Callahan argued with the two following the appraisal of his Model 96B rifle.
It seems as though things have suddenly gotten worse. Callahan claimed that the Harrisons “put him in a chokehold, pulled him through the shop, and threw him onto the pavement. He added that the alleged incident broke both his walking stick and rifle.
In April 2012, Callahan allegedly complained about Gold to “Right This Minute”. Corey Harrison, Rick’s son, rejected Callahan’s account after learning about the lawsuit.
In the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s words, Rick and Richard “were never in the room with”.
He asserted that Callahan was the aggressor. He was “extremely enraged with a weapon in his hand,” Corey said. “He yelled, “I want to see the owner. He added that none of his staff members had engaged in wrongdoing. Because I would have acted the same way if I had been present, Corey said, “I’m going with my staff. We had to remove him from that area given how he behaved”.
Celebrities discreetly endorsing brands’ products on camera in exchange for large payments from production companies benefits both parties and is a win-win situation. Product placement is a big business and it happens frequently in movies and television. But only “Pawn Stars” is as honest about it”.
There’s a reason why scenes frequently take place inside a Subway restaurant, the counter is frequently covered in wrappers with logos, and the ensemble seems to be constantly devouring foot-longs.
The fast-food colossus, according to Trend Chaser, is “one of the show’s largest sponsors.” The connection is anything but covert. As described by Trend Chaser, one instance is when Corey Harrison picks up a Subway sandwich and “demonstrates how the auction will unfold later in the day” in the middle of the restaurant.
Additionally, Austin “Chumlee” Russell once made fun of Subway and the company’s spokesperson, a convicted sex offender. Russell reportedly boasted about his weight loss while making fun of the fact that he was “the next Jared from Subway.”. Simply put, no, Chumlee.
