Pawn Stars' Rick Harrison's mother sued him over their family assets and ownership of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop featured on the show.

Summary

• Pawn Stars celeb Rick Harrison is involved in a legal battle with his 81-year-old mother over family assets and ownership of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.
• His mother claims that Rick had her sign over her 51% interest in the pawn shop without fully understanding what she was signing, and she has not received complete documentation of the business's finances.
• The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, an accounting of assets, and a court order banning Rick from using funds belonging to his mother, potentially threatening his net worth.

Pawn Starsceleb 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. The most expensive item he ever walked away from was a three-piece suit worn by George Washington, which the seller offered him for $3 million. Rick countered with $2.5 million, and the deal eventually fell through.

Rick Harrison's Net Worth May Be At Risk Due To Lawsuit

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 Pawn Stars' Legal Issues Explained

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 had awoken from a coma, Rick had her sign her 51% interest in the pawn shop over to him. She claims she needed to fully understand what she was signing. In 2018, when Richard died, Joanne inherited his 49% share of the pawn shop, but Rick hasn't provided her with complete documentation of the business's finances. She claims she's been unable 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.

Pawn Stars' Rick Harrison's Mother Filed A Restraining Order

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, "While Rick enjoys his comfortable life as a celebrity firmly in control of all the family businesses and finances, Joanne is left frightened and unsure of if she will have enough resources to pay for her considerable medical and personal expenses each month." 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 confused about his mother's lawsuit.

Pawn Stars is available for streaming on Hulu.

Sources: USA Today, The Daily Mail, Rick Harrison/Instagram, Rick Harrison/Instagram, Las Vegas Review-Journal