Mike Wolfe’s girlfriend has denied rumors that Wolfe and his former American pickers co-star Frank Fritz had a falling out leading up to Fritz’s death.

The two men co-starred alongside Danielle Colby-Cushman in the hit show, which follows the team as they scour the country for forgotten gems in junkyards, basements and garages, recycling and renovating them while meeting quirky characters along the way.

Fritz died on Monday at the age of 60. Although his cause of death has not yet been revealed, his health took a huge hit in 2022 after he suffered a stroke that left him requiring a wheelchair. He also suffered for decades from Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the digestive tract.

After rumors circulated that he had not supported Fritz in the years following his stroke, Wolfe’s friend Leticia Cline took to her Instagram Story to set the record straight.

Newsweek emailed a Wolfe spokesperson for comment outside normal business hours on Wednesday.

“Over the past three years, I have witnessed Mike go above and beyond to ensure Frank received the best care,” she wrote.

“It has been difficult to remain silent while rumors spread untruths and foster hatred, but instead of wasting energy defending himself, he has spent that time on the phone and in person with Frank and his caregivers, including by his side when he died last night. breathed his last.

“I never met Frank, but was able to get to know him through the countless stories Mike told me about their adventures together before and after the show. I am so proud of the grace and resilience Mike has had throughout these years and how he never let it get in the way of the bond of friendship. Frank will be missed by so many.”

Cline isn’t the only person standing up for Mike Wolfe. In an interview with Mail Online in September, his brother Rob Wolfe denied there was any bad blood between the former costars.

“We’re in contact with him. The crew and I are going to him,” Rob Wolfe said of Fritz.

“It’s kind of hard to talk about Frank in general because he can’t really talk about it himself. My brother sees him more than I do.”

Mike Wolfe shared the news of Fritz’s death on Instagram on October 1, writing: “It is with a broken heart that I share with you all that Frank passed away last night.

“I’ve known Frank for more than half my life and what you saw on TV is always what I saw: a dreamer who was as sensitive as he was funny. The same off camera as he was doing, Frank had a way to reach the hearts of so many by simply being themselves.

“Who would have ever dreamed that we would share the cockpit of a white van for millions of people interested in our adventures.

“Before the show, we set off together to places we didn’t know existed, with no destination in mind and only the shared passion to discover something interesting and historic.”

He concluded: “We have made countless trips and shared so many miles and I feel blessed to have been by his side as he made one final journey home. I love you buddy and will miss you so much. I know you’re in a better place.”

Fritz and Mike Wolfe had previously argued after Fritz took a break American pickers to spend time recovering from back surgery.

When the show returned in January 2021, Fritz was still not on the show, and Mike Wolfe later released a statement saying Fritz would not be returning to the series.

“I have known Frank for as long as I can remember, he has been like a brother to me,” he said in a statement at the time.

“The journey that Frank, Dani (Colby) and I began in 2009 has, like all of life, had its highs and lows, blessings and challenges, but it has also been the most rewarding.”

He added: “I will miss Frank, as will all of you, and I pray for all the best and all good things for him on the next part of his journey.”

Previously spoken to NewsweekFritz responded to Mike Wolfe’s statement: “Mike’s statement was bulls***. Somebody wrote it down for him. I don’t think he’s said five nice things to me in 10 years, you know? Unless he was putting someone else down and We both laughed.”

According to several reports, the feuding former costars patched up their relationship in May 2023.