American Pickers’ Frank Fritz put under guardianship – things started going downhill after bad engagement
Sometimes life leads us down paths we never knew we’d take. Frank Fritz was a beloved staple on television but in his personal life, he was suffering quite a lot.
This is his heartbreaking story…
But in November of the same year their relationship took a turn for the worse when Bankson made claims that she had “walked in” on Fritz “and caught him in bed with another woman.”
In an interview, Fritz revealed that Bankson had cheated on him and even had gotten a tattoo that reminded him of her ‘betrayal.’ But he said he still wanted to marry her.
“I was going to get married, I bought a house and a big expensive ring, and then I found out my fiancée had been dating somebody else for two and half years,” Fritz said.
“She’s the cheater, that’s why I got a tattoo saying ‘Once a cheater, always a cheater,” Fritz explained, he said the reason he got the tattoo was to serve as a reminder to not make “the same mistake again.” He further added that Bankson had “cost” him a lot of money.
To nurse his broken heart, he began to drink. He said that was how he dealt with his heartbreak. This also caused him to lose a lot of weight. Fritz said “I gave it a good shot. I tried to drink her away.”
While he overcame his drinking problem, he decided to not date anyone for a while since the last relationship with Bankson had “stung hard enough.”
After the breakup, he also suffered losses professional. According to the Sun, he did not appear as the host of History Channel’s “American Pickers” after March 2020.
Fritz said the show had not made any clear decisions on whether they would have him back. But he did say a showrunner had called him and promised to get him back onscreen.
But according to TMZ the show has “no plans” of casting Fritz as a host again despite him having worked on the show for a decade.
Apart from not getting back on his show, his ex-lover Bankson also debuted her new man, Eric Longlett, an Engineering Administration Manager. She posted about him on her social media, gushing about how lucky she was to be with him.
When Longlett took her to see Elton John perform, she wrote in a caption, “He took me to see Elton John’s Yellow Brick Road Farewell Tour. I’m a lucky girl. Love you, Babe oxo.”
On July 4, 2022, Fritz was admitted to a hospital for a stroke. His friend had discovered him on the floor of his home and called for help. The US Sunwas able to obtain the 911 call where his friend said, “he might be seizuring, I’m not sure.”
Fritz’s father Bill Fritz told the media that his son was doing better everyday and recovering well.
However, his recovery was not as solid as doctors would have liked. Upon his release from the hospital, he was sent to a nursing facility and placed under guardianship.
According to reports, his “longtime friend” filed an emergency appointment for temporary guardian and conservatorship for him on August 18, 2022 which was then approved.
His friend was appointed as his guardian and the bank was assigned as his conservator to oversee his finances.
As his conservator, the bank would oversee payments to his care facility, including daily expenses, health insurance, repairs, and on paying the tax on his property. The bank would have to ensure that he had access to appropriate transportation for activities and medical appointments.
As his guardian, his friend has been “in decision-making since the stroke” and as part of his requirement for being his guardian had to file an “initial care plan” for him.
To do so, his guardian would have to make decisions pertaining to his living arrangements, current residence, health status and healthcare needs, facilitate participation for any activities, and also keep contact with loved ones and any romantic partners. As his guardian, he would also be expected to file a yearly report.
