Pawn Stars celeb Rick Harrison’s involved in a nasty legal battle with his 81-year-old mother, who’s suing him. The series premiered on the History Channel in 2009 and has aired for 20 seasons. The Harrison family patriarch, Richard “Old Man” Harrison, opened the shop in 1988 with his son, Rick. His other son, Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, and Corey’s childhood friend, Pawn Stars‘ Austin “Chumlee” Russell, also appear on the show. As one of the best reality TV shows, there’s still interest in Rick’s lawsuit issues due to the popularity of Pawn Stars.
Sadly, Richard died in 2018 at 77, but Pawn Stars continues to focus on the dealings at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. The owners haggle over the prices of the antique and vintage items people bring to the store. The most Rick has ever paid for an item was $250,000, for Maurice Sendak’s one-of-a-kind original sketches for the classic children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are.
According to USA Today, Rick’s mother, Joanne Harrison, is suing him in a dispute over family assets and the ownership of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. As per the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Joanne’s attorneys filed the civil lawsuit in Nevada state court. The lawsuit names Rick Harrison, the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, business entities Harrison Properties, JoRich Properties, and others as defendants.
The complaint cites a breach of contract, stating that Joanne was married to Rick’s father for 58 years. However, when she was hospitalized in 2000 or 2001, just after she’d awoken from a coma, Rick had her sign her 51% interest in the pawn shop over to him. She claims she didn’t fully understand what she was signing.
In 2018, when Richard died, Joanne inherited his 49% share of the pawn shop, but Rick hadn’t provided her with complete documentation of the business’s finances. She alleges she hasn’t been able to get proper accounting for more than $500,000 worth of cash and silver. She believes the late Richard accumulated those things before his death.
Rick’s net worth is threatened because the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, an accounting of assets, a court order banning Rick from using funds belonging to Joanne, and “a constructive trust” over property that belongs to her. Rick told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “The allegations are false, and I think that my 81-year-old mother is being manipulated by others for their personal gain.” According to The Daily Mail, in 2020, the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, which usually accumulates over $1 million annually, only made $37,406 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to The Daily Mail, Joanne’s temporary restraining order against Pawn Stars’ Rick is to prevent him from selling off the family’s assets. She claimed that Rick stopped sending her money from Richard’s share of the business. Until recently, Rick gave her regular $25,000 payments but stopped in 2020. Joanne’s now trying to have that allowance reinstated through the courts. The restraining order would also stop Rick from transferring or concealing cash assets or performing any other actions that would diminish her interest in the family’s business.
Joanne’s request stated,
The publication also reported that Joanne is 81 years old and suffers from many health issues that require 24-hour care and supervision, which can cost up to $15,000 a month. Rick stated that he only found out about the restraining order request through news reports.
He said, “I’ve tried to reach her numerous times over the last several months and cannot do so. In fact, one of the companies she is suing is owned 100 percent by my mother.” The Pawn Stars celebrity seemed to be confused by his mother’s lawsuit.
Joanne Rhue was featured on a somewhat unsettling website, Find A Grave. While that website lists her as being buried at Palm Memorial Park Northwest in Las Vegas, Nevada, no information confirming her death is available. Find A Grave‘s information may not be correct – however, the website does include a “memorial ID – 222143474.”
Find A Grave features information that contributors can add – in other words, someone could have added that entry even though it’s not accurate. News of Joanne’s death would probably have made headlines, so proof from other sources is needed. Joanne’s late husband Rick Sr. is buried at Palm Memorial Park Northwest, and that is confirmed.
Since she’d been very ill before pursuing legal action against Rick, it’s possible that Joanne is dead. Nonetheless, right now, it can’t be proved. If it is, this article will be updated with that information. If Joanne’s alive and well, it’s likely that the Pawn Stars mom is still estranged from her son, Rick. While the outcome of her lawsuit hasn’t been made public, some facts about Rick’s mom which can be proved are available.
Joanne married Rick Sr. in 1960, and they welcomed four children, including Rick Jr. At a country dance, the elder Rick met his future wife. She was from a well-to-do family. Her father was a respected attorney who worked for a major cigarette company. Rick Sr. and Joanne have three sons – their daughter, Sherry, who had Down’s Syndrome, has passed away. She was only six years old when she died. Their sons are Rick Jr., Chris and Joseph Harrison.
As questions about Joanne continue to be asked, Rick Jr. is grieving the loss of his son, Adam Harrison, who passed away this year (2024). The Pawn Stars dad is reeling after this terrible tragedy. He has honored his son online, without mentioning his mother Joanne or her lawsuit and restraining order.
Legal issues and money matters may not be foremost in Rick’s mind right now as he is grieving the loss of his son. 13 weeks ago, Rick posted the poignant photo shown above on Instagram. In his caption, he said:
Many people have lost loved ones because of the opioid epidemic, and Adam passed away due to a fentanyl overdose. Adam died on January 19 of this year, at the age of 39. Aside from fentanyl, he had methamphetamine in his system. The official cause of death is toxicity caused by those two substances.
This is heartbreaking, and well beyond a family feud. Rick must face life without his son, but he’s bravely trying to move on. The wily Pawn Stars trader is a strong person. While Rick’s been portrayed as a villain in the past, and the lawsuit via his own mother didn’t help his reputation, he is human and probably feels very sad sometimes. The loss of a child is a tough burden to bear. Via TMZ, Rick shared his thoughts on the opioid epidemic:
Rick’s career may help him by keeping him busy, so he doesn’t dwell on his problems with his mother and the death of his son. He’s appearing in the Pawn Stars spinoff, Pawn Stars Do America, along with Austin Lee “Chumlee” Russell, who also had legal issues. A couple of weeks ago, Rick checked out a car worth $900,000. It was too rich for his blood, but the show offers the inside scoop on the enviable possessions of people all over America, whether they splash out cash on automobiles, rock and roll memorabilia or other items.
Hopefully, Pawn Stars‘ Rick won’t have to live with more tragedy and heartache. The allegations his mother made were extremely serious. On Instagram, Rick’s posting pictures with family and friends. He’s doing his best to move on. That’s all he can really do. More details about his mother’s lawsuit may emerge, but as of right now, Rick seems to be doing well despite some epic challenges.