‘American Pickers’ star Danielle Colby breaks silence on 'sad' Frank Fritz exit, stands by Mike Wolfe
Danielle Colby is standing by her pal Mike Wolfe.
The "American Pickers" star broke her silence on Monday after Frank Fritz revealed his strained relationship with his former co-host.
The 45-year-old shared a candid selfie with Wolfe, 57, on Instagram while they were both hitting the road.
"Out on the road again with my best friend and my big brother whose I support fully and stand behind," she captioned the photo. "Thank you for the last decade of advocacy towards myself and others on set. @mikewolfeamericanpicker I’m proud of how you have handled the last 12 years and look forward to many more years of rolling around this big blue marble together."
‘AMERICAN PICKERS’ STAR DANIELLE COLBY TALKS STRIPPING DOWN AS A BURLESQUE PERFORMER: ‘IT’S PART OF MY LIFE JOURNEY’
Frank Fritz, who has since left History Channel's 'American Pickers,' admitted his relationship with former co-host Mike Wolfe (right) is strained. (Photo by D Dipasupil/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
"I’m truly saddened for the loss of Frank on the show," Colby shared. "I’m incredibly sad for his struggles. I have personally watched everything over the last decade. I have many thoughts but won’t speak them as they are only my thoughts, not gospel. I wish things could have been different but we must be accountable for our actions when we cause instability or pain and suffering to others."
"Frank caused so much pain for himself that it has been hard to watch," Colby continued. "I truly hope Frank receives all the help he needs to become well after years of being unwell. It is not my place to speak Ill of someone who needs help so I will keep my comments uplifting. I’m sending love to everyone."
Colby stressed she was opening up now because she didn’t want tabloids to speak out on her behalf. Her goal, she said, is to share her stance on the matter.
"The only reason I’m speaking to this right now is because everybody is speculating on my words and my words are being taken out of context in tabloid rags because they can’t interview me because I will not interview with a tabloid rag," wrote Colby. "So if you wanna know how I feel. Here’s exactly how I feel. I hope everybody gets well. I hope everybody continues to love each other even through the hard s—t."
A rep for Fritz didn't immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
‘AMERICAN PICKERS’ STAR FRANK FRITZ SAYS HE HASN’T SPOKEN TO MIKE WOLFE IN TWO YEARS: ‘THAT’S JUST HOW IT IS’
"Frank [Fritz] caused so much pain for himself that it has been hard to watch," Danielle Colby wrote on Instagram. "I truly hope Frank receives all the help he needs to become well after years of being unwell. It is not my place to speak Ill of someone who needs help so I will keep my comments uplifting. I’m sending love to everyone." (Photo by Gary Miller/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
The popular History Channel reality series, which premiered in 2010, chronicles the adventures of the pickers as they travel across the country in hopes of finding and rescuing prized objects with stories deeply rooted in American history. Colby provides much-needed assistance when the two minds find themselves in comedic binds along the way.
But earlier this month, Fritz confirmed that his friendship with Wolfe has been on the rocks. The 55-year-old told The Sun he has left the series and is no longer in touch with Wolfe.
"I haven’t talked to Mike in two years," the 55-year-old told the outlet. "He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is."'
While Fritz wouldn’t detail the exact reason for his departure, he described feeling like he was in "second" place on "American Pickers."
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Frank Fritz (right) claimed audiences could easily identify with him more in the series. ( Photo by Ray Tamarra/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
"The show is titled towards him 1,000 percent," he claimed. "I can’t even bend that far down to show you how much. That’s fine. It’s like you’ve got Aerosmith and there’s Steven Tyler and he’s the frontman. I found my spot, I’m second and he’s number one on the show. That’s no problem with me, maybe he does have a problem."
Fritz also revealed that audiences could easily identify with him more, making him a "bigger" star among fans.
"I’m not arrogant and I’m more of a regular ol’ guy," he explained. "The guy that connects with me is the guy who buys a 30 pack of Busch Light and a pizza on the weekend. That’s my guy. My guy buys a $150 sign, not an $8,000 sign. I’m more of the common man guy, I haven’t found a $100,000 vase or any Michelangelo stuff. I’ve never really had a big, big score like that. But all the small scores are the bread and butter and that’s my deal."
A rep for The History Channel and Wolfe didn’t immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment. However, Wolfe confirmed on Instagram that Fritz has left the show, adding he will miss his former co-host.
"I have known Frank for as long as I can remember, he’s been like a brother to me," Wolfe wrote. "The journey that Frank, Dani and I started back in 2009, like all of life, has come with its highs and lows, blessings and challenges, but it has also been the most rewarding."
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A rep for The History Channel and Mike Wolfe didn’t immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment. However, Wolfe confirmed on Instagram that Fritz has left the show, adding he will miss his former co-host. (Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
"The support that you all have given us has been a constant reminder of what the show’s message has always been; thru these places, people, and things we all have a common thread," he shared. We’re here to not only take care of the past, but also each other. I will miss Frank, just like all of you, and I pray for the very best and all good things for him on the next part of his journey."
Fritz told the outlet that it would be difficult to "put the show on after not talking to somebody for two years."
"I think Mike wants to get his brother Robbie in there to replace me," Fritz claimed. "I don’t know why he’s behaving like that towards me. You couldn’t just stick two people in a van and get the chemistry you get from me and Mike. We’ve known each other for about 40 years. We can finish each other’s sentences. When everybody is getting along and there’s no drama, me and him are very good together."
The celebrated collector said he’s now eager to move on and start a new chapter in his life. Most recently, he unveiled a 65-pound weight loss to keep his Crohn’s Disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, "under control the best I can." He credited the transformation to healthy eating habits.
"I’m just trying to get through life like everybody else and be as happy as I possibly can," said Fritz. "Life is what you put into it. If you don’t put much into it you don’t get a lot out of it."