American Pickers star Frank Fritz, who is currently hospitalized after suffering a stroke, was once in a relationship with Diann Bankson, but was she his wife?
On Thursday, July 21, American Pickers host Mike Wolfe announced that his former co-host had been hospitalised after suffering a stroke.
Mike took to Instagram and wrote: “I have been very private in the past year in regards to Frank’s life and the journey he’s been on. There have been lots of opinions in regards to mine and Frank’s friendship and the show but now is not the time to set the record straight. Now is the time to pray for my friend.
“Frank has suffered a stroke and is in the hospital. Please keep him in your hearts and thoughts.”
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Was Diann Bankson Frank Fritz’s wife?
No, Diann Bankson was never Frank Fritz’s wife as the duo parted ways before they could get married.
Frank was previously in a relationship with Diann, who occasionally appeared on his Facebook page, as per Distractify.
The outlet also reports that back in 2016, Frank had shared a picture of Diann, her daughter Paige, as well as Paige’s daughter Eulalia. The pic reportedly shocked some of his followers after he referred to the kid as his “granddaughter.”
Frank reportedly later clarified that he and his girlfriend hadn’t gotten married, but said, “Diann’s family is my family. It is great being Grandpa Frank! I love my girls.”
The Sun reports that Frank and Diann got engaged in 2017 and lived together in his Iowa farmhouse. However, the couple never reached the alter and broke up sometime around 2019.
SEE: Was Diann Bankson Frank Fritz’s wife as American Pickers star suffers stroke?
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What Frank and Diann have said about each other
As per The Sun, Diann claimed in 2020 that she had caught Frank cheating two years prior.
The report alleged that she “walked in and caught him in bed with another woman.”
The two reconciled after the incident. However, the troubles between the couple didn’t end and Diann went on to file a lawsuit against Frank. She later withdrew it in March 2020.
In an interview with The Sun, Frank said: “The main problem was this girlfriend I had, I thought I was getting married and I bought a brand new house. Then I found out that all the time while I was on the road, she had a boyfriend back here.
“It hurt my feelings, my self-esteem and my whole world. I gave it a good shot, I tried to drink her away. I never drank that much before.”
Although Frank didn’t name his ex-girlfriend, the outlet reported that he was speaking about Diann.
Diann responded to Frank’s claims, saying: “It’s not true what he’s saying. If he’s trying to make me look like a bad person of course I’m going to say it’s not true because it’s not.”
American Pickers star’s health struggles
The sad news about Frank’s stroke came one year after he was fired as the co-host of American Pickers.
The star had also recently lost 65 pounds and was believed to be living a healthier lifestyle. He has been candid about his alcohol addiction in the past.
He told The Sun in 2021 that he had checked into rehab for 77 days over alcohol abuse.
The antique dealer has also been battling Crohn’s disease for over 30 years.