Frank Fritz’s On-And-off Romance With Ex-Girlfriend Diann Bankson Ended Before His Death

History Channel fans are mourning the loss of one of the network's staples, Frank Fritz. The longtime host of American Pickers died on Sept. 30, 2024, at age 60.

Frank leaves behind his co-stars and loved ones, as well as his ex-girlfriend, Diann Bankson. However, before he died, he and Diann had a tumultuous relationship.

Per The Sun, Frank's relationship with Diann had been public throughout his life. They were together intermittently for several decades, beginning when the reality star was 25. Their final attempt at a romance ended in 2020 after Diann allegedly found Frank in bed with another woman in 2018 after living together and getting engaged in 2017.

While they moved past the alleged infidelity, she sued him for $50,000 in 2020, claiming he was "negligent in the operation of fireworks," after he didn't warn her about an ashtray that had an improperly disposed firework in it. Diann claimed the ashtray "blew up severely, burning her hand and arm with third-degree burns and burnt off eyelashes and eyebrows." She also said Frank refused to take her to the hospital to treat the burns and told her to "toughen up" when she complained about the pain.

Diann later dismissed the case in March 2020. However, the drama between them wasn't over, as Frank told The Sun that his ex had been unfaithful.

“She’s the cheater; that’s why I got a tattoo saying ‘Once a cheater, always a cheater,"' he said at the time.

After Diann and Frank's final split, he sold their $358,000 Iowa mansion in January 2021. It's unclear if the exes communicated before his death, though she announced in 2022 that she had moved on with a new man.

Frank's friend and co-host, Mike Wolfe, announced his death, which was due to health struggles, on social media. In his statement, he described his longtime pal as "a dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny" and said he was "the same off-camera as he was on."