Mike Wolfe has long been a fan-favorite on Americans Pickers. But did you know that he and his ex-wife took out a PPP loan just prior to the show letting go of Wolfe’s co-star Frank Fritz? Turns out that the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching.
For those who aren’t sure, a PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan is a loan backed by U.S. Small Business Administration. The loans have been given to help businesses keep their employees working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to sources at The Sun, the 57-year-old American Pickers star, Mike Wolfe, and his ex-wife, Jodi, took out one of these loans on April 27, 2020. The deadline for the loan program actually just ended on May 31, 2021.
However, Mike and Jodi took out the loan just before Wolfe’s longtime co-star, Frank Fritz was fired. The loan, of course, was for their company, Antique Archaeology Nashville. It was in the amount of $74,097 and went for the payroll of 10 of their employees at the business.
It wasn’t even a year later that Jodi filed for divorce from the professional picker. After 10 years of marriage, Jodi decided to call it quits after 10 years of marriage between the two. They do share a nine-year-old daughter together in Charlie Faeth Wolfe.
Meanwhile, Mike Wolfe has since moved on in his personal life. He is now dating 42-year-old model Leticia Cline. You may recognize her from her time on the popular WB dating show, Beauty and The Geek.
Frank Fritz Let Go from ‘American Pickers’
The loan that Mike Wolfe and his ex-wife took out for their business definitely had some interesting time. The last time Wolfe’s co-star Frank Fritz made an appearance on American Pickers came back in March 2020. He then took a leave of absence from the show as he took some time to recover from serious back surgery.
And since then, Fritz was let go from the fan-favorite antique collection show. He explained to The Sun that he had been battling a drinking problem for quite a while. But he went to rehab, and he’s been looking better and he’s been sober ever since.
“I didn’t like drinking anymore. My mom was an alcoholic and she died five years ago and it was alcohol-related. My grandfather was an alcoholic and he died. That didn’t sit well with me.”
It’s hard to say just how big of an impact Fritz’ departure had on Wolfe and his ex-wife. Could that have been a key part in them applying for a COVID-19 PPP loan? Either way, Frank Fritz is on his way to a sober lifestyle. He says that as of right now, his mindset is that he will “never drink again.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever drink again because I don’t like the feeling anymore and some of the dumb things that I did,” the former American Pickers star said. “I’m feeling really good. Life is good and I’d like to get back into the swing of things. I wish I had done it five years ago, I would have been a different person.”
