Macaulay Culkin’s path from child star to troubled figure is marked by tragedy. Despite early fame, his family faced financial strain, living in cramped quarters. Culkin’s relationship with his father was marred by mistreatment and control, worsened by a bitter custody battle
He took legal action to protect his wealth amidst fame’s pressures, retiring early due to paparazzi harassment and public scrutiny. His friendship with Michael Jackson brought solace but also controversy amidst abuse allegations.
After spending much of his childhood on movie sets, serving as a cash cow for his parents, teenage Macaulay Culkin had become burned out. He desperately wanted to take some time off. “I just wanted a little bit of a break. I wanted a summer vacation for the first time in, you know, forever,” Culkin told Time.
As he explained while appearing on “Larry King Live,” the pace at which he was working had taken a toll on him. “I did 14 movies in six years, which is more than two a year, and just kind of pumping them out,” he explained. “And I was at this point where I really wanted to take a break … I always joke, ‘Yeah, I retired at 14.’”
After his “retirement,” Culkin began reveling in living the life of a typical teenager, including going to high school at the Professional Children’s School, which caters to child actors and other kids involved in creative careers. Even though he’d stopped making movies and retreated from Hollywood, his fame remained undiminished, something he realized when he dyed his hair crazy colors. “I did purple and I did pink and I did orange, and they made such a big deal out of it — it was on the cover of People!” he told New York Magazine.
Macaulay Culkin’s older sister, Dakota, was hit by a car while walking in Los Angeles. Just a year older than the “Home Alone” star, she died shortly after the accident. Speaking with Esquire more than a decade later, Culkin reflected on the tragic loss. “She passed away 11 years ago tomorrow,” he said. “Tonight,” he added, as in 11 years to the day, “was the last time I talked to her, and she passed away overnight, kinda thing.”
His helthy was to bad in each year
Pray for him
Frank Fritz, “American Pickers” star, dead at 60 — rest in peace
Fans are devastated at the news that Frank Fritz, the antiques expert who gained fame on the reality series American Pickers, has died at 60.
Fritz, who left the series in 2021, had been suffering from health problems and was hospitalized from a stroke two years ago.
The news was announced by Fritz’s friend and co-star Mike Wolfe, who said that Fritz passed away last night.
“I’ve know Frank for more [than] half my life and what you’ve seen on TV has always been what I have seen, a dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny,” Wolfe wrote in a social media tribute. “The same off camera as he was on, Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself.”
Fritz and Wolfe gained fame as the hosts of the reality TV series American Pickers, which premiered on the History Channel in 2010. The series showed the two “pickers” traveling across the USA, searching for valuable antiques and collectibles in unexpected places.
“We’re looking for amazing things buried in people’s garages and barns,” the show’s opening narration explains. “What most people see as junk, we see as dollar signs. We’ll buy anything we think we can make a buck on.”
“We make a living telling the history of America… one piece at a time.”
The series attracted millions of viewers, becoming one of History Channel’s most popular programs. In its debut year it was the #1 non-fiction series among total viewers and adults 25-54.
While the antiques were often interesting, there’s no doubt it was the chemistry and charisma of the two hosts that kept viewers coming back for more.
In 2021, it was announced that Fritz would be leaving American Pickers after a decade on the hit series. Fritz said the decision was not his own, and that he was pushed out by the network after a back surgery.
“I didn’t leave the show,” he told The Sun at the time. “I finished shooting and then I had a little back surgery and the pandemic came.”
He also suggested that his co-host’s ego was a factor, saying the show had “tilted towards him 1,000 percent.” “I haven’t talked to Mike in two years,” Fritz said. “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.”
In July 2022, Fritz was hospitalized from a stroke. In 2023, he had a tearful reunion with Mike Wolfe, and the two resolved their purported feud. However, Fritz declined an offer to rejoin American Pickers, deciding to focus on his health.
It’s clear that the two former co-hosts have remained friendly since then, and it seems Wolfe was by his side til the end.
“We’ve been on countless trips and shared so many miles and I feel blessed that I was there by his side when he took one last journey home,” Wolfe wrote on Instagram. “I love you buddy and will miss you so much I know [you’re] in a better place.”
American Pickers remains a staple of the History Channel lineup. Fritz has never officially been replaced as co-host, though series regulars like Danielle Colby, Mike Wolfe’s brother Robbie, and friend and antiques expert “Jersey Jon” Szalay will rotate accompanying Wolfe on his antiquing trips.
Colby also shared her own tribute to Fritz on social media. “Frank, I will miss your ability to make everyone laugh, your love for talking tattoos, your epic collections but what I will miss the most are those little glimpses of vulnerability from time to time,” she wrote.
“Frank, you loved your cat and your momma and we bonded on those things. You will be missed for all of these reasons and so many more.
Rest in Peace Road Dog.”
Rest in peace to the iconic reality TV star Frank Fritz 😢🙏 Please share this story in his memory.
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