Reality TV star's mother passes away, triggering a flood of tributes

History Channel favorite Rick Harrison, 58, and his loved ones are mourning the devastating death of his mother, Joan. His son, 38-year-old Adam Harrison, died of a suspected overdose two years ago in January 2024. Harrison's representative, Laura Herlovich, confirmed the tragic news to TMZ on Thursday, saying, "Rick is handling this matter privately." Joan passed away at a Las Vegas hospital.

A representative for the television star confirmed the news of his son's death to TMZ last January. At the time, a spokesperson revealed that the Harrison family learned of Adam's death on Friday and confirmed that he died of a drug overdose.

According to Express US, details about when and where he died were initially unclear. However, shortly after the news broke, Rick confirmed the news in a statement to TMZ, writing, "Yes, I can confirm that Adam died from a fentanyl overdose."

"Our family is deeply saddened by Adam's death. We mourn his passing and ask for privacy," the Harrison family said in a statement to TMZ.

Unlike his relatives, Adam has remained out of the spotlight and does not appear on Rick's Instagram feed like other family members.

Pawn Stars debuted in 2009 and chronicles three generations of the Harrison dynasty, where they assess whether items brought to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop are real or fake.

Adam was never a part of the hit reality show, but according to TMZ, he did provide some assistance before working at the pawn shop.

Tributes to Adam have poured in. One former user wrote: "Our condolences to his family," while another said of Rick: "Poor guy."

Rick has two sons, Adam and Corey, with his first wife, Kim, and a son, Jake, with his second wife, Tracy.

In 2018, Rick's father, Richard, affectionately known to fans as "Old Man," passed away at the age of 77 after battling Parkinson's disease.

Upon his father's passing, Rick shared an emotional message on Instagram, saying that the Pawn Stars legend "will be deeply missed by our family, the Gold & Silver Pawn team, and his many fans around the world."