Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe Weren't as Friendly as Social Media Posts From Mike Suggests

In the book Emma, author Jane Austen wrote, "Business, you know, may bring money, but friendship hardly ever does." That may be true in most situations unless you go into business with a friend. In 2010, two buddies with a passion for antiquing decided to take that love to the small screen. American Pickers was born and with it, a front-row seat to the friendship between hosts Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz.

A decade later, Frank took a break from the show following legal troubles and health issues. His last episode aired in March 2020, but his problems continued to grow. The duo was permanently divided when Frank was fired a little over a year later. Since then, it has been revealed that perhaps Mike and Frank weren't very close at all. Let's take a look at their feud.

In July 2021, Mike announced that Frank would be leaving the show in an Instagram post that didn't say much more than that. He vaguely said their journey was filled with ups and downs but what he learned was, "We’re here to not only take care of the past, but also each other." He ended the post by saying how much Frank would be missed.

The timing of Mike's Instagram post is interesting as it went up two days after Frank spoke with the U.S. Sun about their so-called friendship. "I haven’t talked to Mike in two years," explained Frank. "He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is." Frank also said part of their falling out was over the fact that Mike was clearly the favored host. "The show is tilted towards him 1,000 percent. I can’t even bend that far down to show you how much."

Mike and Frank squashed their beef in May 2023 during Memorial Day weekend, reported The Quad-City Times. A friend of Frank's orchestrated the get-together telling the publication they were not actually feuding. "They needed separation to appreciate each other," she said. According to her, Mike had been interested in seeing Frank for quite some time, but it was Frank who was keeping his old pal at arm's length because he wasn't feeling up to it, physically, after his stroke in July 2022.

The meeting was private, but the friend said she was in and out of the room where it took place. "They were both in tears. Both were crying," she said. "Mike brought up how nervous they both were to be going on David Letterman, which was one of their first big appearances." Evidently, Mike told Frank that no one could ever replace him as the two talked about old times.

Unfortunately Frank passed away in September 2024. In response to that, Mike posted a tribute to his late friend on Instagram wherein he describes his friend as a "dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny." He ended the message by writing, "I love you buddy and will miss you so much. I know you're in a better place."