“When you lose a kid, you second guess f–king everything,” says Harrison, whose son Adam died from an accidental drug overdose in January 2024.
Pawn Stars’ Rick Harrison is reflecting on the loss of his son, Adam, one year after his tragic death.
During Wednesday’s episode of In Depth with Graham Bensinger, the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop owner opened up about his difficult year grieving the sudden passing of his son, who passed away from an accidental drug overdose at 39 in January 2024.
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“I think about him every day,” Harrison, 59, said. “In his twenties, he had drug problems. I mean, God, I put him in rehab so many times, and every time, he’d be doing great, and then he would just fall back. I mean, you’ve heard the same story from a million people, and it got really, really bad, and apparently, it wasn’t heroin he got — he ended up getting some fentanyl. It killed him.”
The History channel star admitted that he often questions whether he did “everything right” when it came to the decisions he made regarding his son’s struggles with substance abuse.
“The thing is, I mean, when you lose a kid, you second guess f–king everything,” he said. “It’s like, ‘Could I have done this? Could I have done this? Could I have done this? Could I have done this?’ And it’s like it goes through your brain constantly. There’s not a day I don’t [think] about him.”
When Bensinger asked what he thinks about specifically, Harrison said, “Could I have done something different?”
“I mean, I think I did everything right,” he continued. “You just sit in your head, ‘What if I did this? What if I did this?’ You know what I mean? What if I just grabbed him, f–king locked him in the back of my truck, drove him to Oregon, and put him over to where he couldn’t get [drugs]? I mean, you have a hundred things go through your mind. There was nothing worse than losing a kid.”
Bensinger assured Harrison that he “did everything” for his son amid his battle with substance abuse, listing several actions he took to try to help, including having police “put him in jail.”
In response, Harrison said Adam even once “broke in” to his home.
“I figured maybe if we put him in jail for two months, it’ll clean him out, but he just went straight back on it,” he admitted, before Bensinger asked if he has any advice for other parents who have children going through similar struggles.
“You try to give him tough love but, God, you just never see the OD coming,” Harrison said. “You want to give them tough love and everything, but, f–k I never thought that would happen.”
“I don’t know. It’s hard,” he continued. “There’s no instruction book with kids. They’re all different models.”
Harrison went on to share how he’s been able to navigate his grief, citing spending time with his sons and his four grandchildren.
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“[You have to] appreciate what you got, because it’s not you’re not always going to have it,” he said. “I spend as much time with my kids as I can. I talk to all my kids on the phone almost every day. I love my kids, love my grandkids. You enjoy life. I mean, I literally know guys that’ve got 10 times as much money as me — and I do all right — that are f–king miserable.”
“It is easy to enjoy life. It really is. Just don’t be around the people that are miserable and just enjoy life with your family and your friends and everything,” he added. “It’s really it’s not that hard to be happy.”
In January 2024, TMZ reported the news of Adam’s death, with a rep confirming the 39-year-old died from a drug overdose in Las Vegas. The cause of death was ruled an accidental overdose of fentanyl and methamphetamine, according got the outlet.
The Harrison family issued a statement following Adam’s death, telling the outlet: “Our family is extremely saddened by the death of Adam. We ask for privacy as we grieve his loss.”
Harrison posted a tribute to his late son on Instagram at the time. Alongside a photo of himself and Adam, he wrote, “You will always be in my heart! I love you Adam. 💔.”
According to TMZ, citing a police report, shortly before his death, Adam had been released from jail, where he had served three months. However, the reason he was incarcerated was not confirmed.
Adam was one of two sons Harrison welcomed with his first wife, Kim, alongside his eldest son, Corey, who appears on Pawn Stars. Harrison also shares son Jake with his second wife, Tracy
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, get help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.
