GOSSIP & RUMORS: ‘American Pickers’ star Frank Fritz’s will challenged after death: report

A friend of “American Pickers” star Frank Fritz has reportedly challenged the reality TV personality’s will months after his death at the age of 60.

Fritz, a midwestern antique collector and salesman, appeared alongside business partner and fellow antiquarian Mike Wolfe, 60, on the History show from its inception in 2010 until 2020, when he exited the series owing to health problems.

In 2021, after exiting “American Pickers” and undergoing back surgery, Fritz said he hadn’t “talked to Mike in two years.” 

His health further deteriorated in July 2022 after he suffered a stroke. His loved ones later obtained a conservatorship and guardianship on behalf of Fritz.

A year later, Fritz’s condition had not improved, and, in October 2023, his lawyer reportedly filed a “will prior to death” in an Iowa court to “safe keep” it. A judge allegedly reviewed and accepted the document at the time, and, following Fritz’s death on Sept. 30, 2024, a certificate was issued for the will’s approval just a little over two weeks later on Oct. 18.

However, according to The U.S. Sun, on Dec. 31, 2024, an attorney for an unnamed female friend of Fritz’s “entered his appearance in the case on her behalf,” meaning the attorney filed paperwork stating that they would be acting on the pal’s behalf with regards to the will’s disbursement.

On Feb. 3, another attorney submitted a Petition in Probate to “set aside will and jury demand,” seeking to have the will legally canceled or deemed invalid, reported the outlet.

Fritz’s estate is rumored to be worth $6 million.

The reality star’s death certificate listed his cause of death as “late sequela of cerebral infarction,” per TMZ. The condition is more commonly known as a stroke.

The certificate added that the stroke was brought on by cerebral vascular disease, a group of conditions that affect blood flow and the blood vessels in the brain, according to the University of Michigan Health.

The “American Pickers” alum also suffered from aortic stenosis, a chronic condition that can constrict the amount of blood flowing from the heart to the rest of the body, and COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is caused by damage to the airways or other parts of the lung that blocks airflow and makes it hard to breathe. Both of these conditions contributed to Fritz’s death, according to the certificate.

Fritz’s rep previously said that Crohn’s disease, which the star battled for decades, may have played a role in his death as well.

The reality TV fan favorite was in a hospice facility and surrounded by friends when he passed.