Pawn Starsâ Rick Harrison is opening up about the death of his son.
Over a year after his son Adam died from a drug overdose at 39, the reality star shared how the loss has impacted his life. In a preview of his appearance on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Harrison explained that he is still grieving.Â
âI think about him every day,â he said. âIn his twenties, he had drug problems. I mean, God, I put him in rehab so many times and every time heâd be doing great, and then he would just fall back. I mean, youâve heard the same story from a million people, and it got really, really bad, and apparently it wasnât heroin he got â he ended up getting some Fentanyl. It killed him.â
Adam died on January 19, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ever since, Harrison revealed he wonders how things could have been different.
âThe thing is, when you lose a kid, you second guess fâing everything,â he admitted. âItâs like, âCould I have done this? Could I have done this? Could I have done this? Could I have done this?â And itâs like it goes through your brain constantly. Thereâs not a day I donât [think] about him.â
âI mean, I think I did everything right,â he added. âYou just sit in your head, âWhat if I did this? What if I did this?â You know what I mean? What if I just grabbed him, fâing locked him in the back of my truck, drove him to Oregon and put him over to where he couldnât get [drugs]? I mean, you have a hundred things go through your mind. There is nothing worse than losing a kid.â
Harrison then recalled a time when Adam âbroke inâ to his house and he didnât know what to do.
âI figured maybe if we put him in jail for two months itâll clean him out, but he just went straight back on it,â he said. âYou try to give him tough love but, God, you just never see the OD coming. You want to give them tough love and everything but I never thought that would happen.â
âItâs hard,â Harrison noted. âThereâs no instruction book with kids. Theyâre all different models.â
Now, the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop owner said he tries to focus on the positives in his life, like his two other sons, Jake and Corey, and his four grandchildren.
â[You have to] appreciate what you got, because itâs not youâre not always going to have it,â he explained. âI 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 thatâve got 10 times as much money as me, and I do all right, that are miserable.â
Harrison then revealed the biggest lesson he has learned from experiencing tragedy: âIt is easy to enjoy life. It really is. Just donât be around the people that are miserable and just enjoy life with your family and your friends and everything. Itâs really itâs not that hard to be happy.â
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In Depth with Graham Bensinger debuts in broadcast syndication across the U.S. this weekend.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
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