Fact Check: No, 'Pawn Stars' personality Rick Harrison wasn't sentenced to life in prison
A judge sentenced "Pawn Stars" television personality Rick Harrison to life in prison.
Rating:
According to a rumor that internet users shared in early 2025, reality television star Rick Harrison — best known for starring in the History series "Pawn Stars" — received a sentence of life imprisonment.
Snopes readers wrote in and searched our site for information about the claim, examples of which appeared in multiple YouTube videos.
One such clip, uploaded on March 26 and embedded below, amassed more than 2.5 million views as of this writing. It was titled: "Rick Harrison From Pawn Stars Sentenced To Life Imprisonment."
The claim also spread to social media platforms including TikTok and Facebook.
In short, the rumor about Harrison receiving a life sentence was untrue and as a result we have rated the claim as false.
As the website US Prison Guide noted on April 6, there was no credible evidence that Harrison had been incarcerated. A Google search for the terms "Rick Harrison" and "life sentence" also found no coverage of such a sentence from any reputable news outlets.
Some of the YouTube videos sharing the story had disclaimers acknowledging that they did not reflect reality. For example, the description of an April 2 video about the story included a section reading:
➤Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes, our videos blend factual, rumored, and fictional content. Viewers should not consider any of this information as definitive or accurate. We advise responsible viewing.
Other examples, such as the March 26 video embedded above, did not include an explicit disclaimer that the story was fiction. However, that video's description noted that the page's stories "may not always reflect the latest developments or offer a full perspective on the topics discussed" and included a statement reading: "We invite viewers to think critically and seek further credible sources to expand their understanding."
The videos also contained multiple demonstrably false details.
For example, starting at the 8:57 mark in the March 26 video, the narrator claims that in 2023, "FBI agents, accompanied by IRS investigators and representatives from the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection," raided Harrison's home, leading to his arrest and "multiple felony charges including tax evasion, money laundering, dealing in stolen property and conspiring to traffic illegally obtained cultural artifacts."
However, it was not possible to find any record of these charges against Harrison nor of any U.S. government entity named the "Department of Cultural Heritage Protection" — although similarly named departments exist in other countries such as China and Poland.
A Google search also produced no demonstrable evidence of any 2023 raid on Harrison's home.
The same video claimed at the 16:28 mark that, following Harrison's alleged sentencing, "images of Rick being led away in handcuffs" dominated "news coverage and social media."
However, there were no such images of Harrison in handcuffs on Getty Images or The Associated Press' AP Newsroom, two major sources of images for legitimate news outlets.
Images from the videos that purportedly showed Harrison in an orange prison jumpsuit appeared to be the products of artificial intelligence software, according to the AI image detectors WasItAI and Decopy AI.
In February 2025, Harrison and his "Pawn Stars" costar Austin "Chumlee" Russell launched a podcast, "Pawn After Dark," which is not formally affiliated with History. The same month, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that "Pawn Stars" was no longer under contract with History and was on "indefinite pause" after more than 20 seasons. There was no indication that the pause had anything to do with a prison sentence for Harrison.
Ultimately, the videos sharing the story about Harrison receiving a life sentence did not recount true events. Instead, they told a fictional story designed to garner shares and likes.
The claim that Harrison was sentenced to life in prison is not the first example we have investigated of a fictional story about a real public figure receiving a life sentence. For example, we looked into the equally false claim that televangelist Kenneth Copeland collapsed in a courtroom after receiving such a sentence.
"A Different Side of 'Pawn Stars,' 'Pawn After Dark' Kicks Off." Las Vegas Review-Journal, 17 Feb. 2025, https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/entertainment-columns/kats/a-different-side-of-pawn-stars-pawn-after-dark-kicks-off-3305973/.
Affiliation Profile – Department of Cultural Heritage Protection and International Communication – Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań. https://researchportal.amu.edu.pl/info/affiliation/4701020800?r=affiliation&title=Department+of+Cultural+Heritage+Protection+and+International+Communication⟨=en&qp=author%253Aauthor%253D%2526language%253Alanguage%253D%2526date1%253D%2526date2%253D. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
"Corey Harrison: 'I Can't Play Another Season' as 'Pawn Stars' on Hiatus." Las Vegas Review-Journal, 28 Feb. 2025, https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/entertainment-columns/kats/i-cant-play-another-season-pawn-stars-halted-on-history-3312695/.
"HERITAGE CATEGORIES AND A CROSSCUTTING APPROACH AMONG CONVENTIONS." OurWorldHeritage Foundation for Civil Society Heritage Partners, https://www.ourworldheritage.org/videos/v/heritage-categories-and-a-crosscutting-approach-among-conventions. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
Liles, Jordan. "Televangelist Kenneth Copeland Is the Target of False AI-Generated Videos." Snopes, 27 Mar. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/kenneth-copeland-sentenced-to-prison/.
Rick Harrison From Pawn Stars Sentenced To Life Imprisonment? Shocking Lie. 6 Apr. 2025, https://usprisonguide.com/rick-harrison-from-pawn-stars-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment/.
"Stream Pawn Stars & Watch All Episodes." The HISTORY Channel, https://www.history.com/shows/pawn-stars. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
A weeklong Jubilee celebration for young Catholics in photos
ROME (AP) — Young Catholics from around the world have gathered in Rome for the largest event of the 2025 Holy Year — a weeklong Jubilee celebration culminating in an outdoor vigil, overnight campout and a Mass led by Pope Leo XIV. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Indianapolis Star
4 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
When is Summerslam 2025 start time tonight? What are WWE matches today? Match card, how to watch
SummerSlam 2025 brings the WWE back to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., this weekend, featuring the event's first two-day setup. Can Randy Orton and Jelly Roll stop Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul on Night 1? Will Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss take WWE Women's Tag Team Championship gold from Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez? Here's what we know about the Summerslam match card, start time, where to watch in theaters and more: SummerSlam 2025 runs Saturday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. SummerSlam 2025 starts at 6 p.m. ET on both Saturday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. The preshow for SummerSlam begins at 3 p.m. ET on both Saturday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. The SummerSlam preshow is available via Peacock and WWE's social channels, including YouTube. Watch all the SummerSlam 2025 action on Peacock SummerSlam 2025 airs on Netflix and Peacock, starting at 6 p.m. ET on both Saturday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. Watch WWE SummerSlam 2025 tonight on Peacock SummerSlam 2025 will also be available to watch at select Regal Cinemas theaters around the country. Tickets to see Day 1 and Day 2 in theaters are available on Fandango's website. Catch every SummerSlam match with a Peacock subscription The slate of matches for each night are listed below, and not in any specific order: The event takes place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
‘Yellowstone' actor Neal McDonough walks back comment that Hollywood ‘turned' on him for refusing to kiss on-screen
Neal McDonough wants to stick with his band of brothers in Hollywood. In fact, the actor, 59, is taking back his previous remarks that the industry turned on him for refusing to kiss his co-stars. 'We want to say thank you, Hollywood,' McDonough's wife, Ruvé Robertson, said during a joint interview with TMZ on Thursday. 'I don't like how people are saying that Hollywood turned its back on Neal. No, it didn't. The right people found Neal and put him in the right place.' 10 Neal McDonough on the 'Nothing Left Unsaid' podcast. Nothing Left Unsaid/YouTube The producer added, 'We want to say thank you, Hollywood. We want to continue doing incredible films with Neal, giving the right messages. We don't want to say Hollywood turned. Guided us to where we are is what Hollywood did, and we want to say, 'Thank you, Hollywood.'' McDonough echoed his wife of 22 years' sentiments, telling the outlet, 'Everyone talks about that stuff that happened all those years ago.' 'If it weren't for that, we wouldn't be here,' the 'Yellowstone' alum explained. 'Those were stepping stones, and it made our relationship closer.' 10 Neal McDonough gets candid about Hollywood on a recent podcast. Nothing Left Unsaid/YouTube The couple, who share sons Morgan and James and daughters Catherine, London, and Clover, also touched on how their children would feel. 'If they were to see Dad kissing another woman, it would hurt them,' Robertson admitted. 'When Neal swears on film, which he rarely does, we would tell our kids when they were younger, 'Oh, no, that's a dub, that's a voiceover. Dad did not say S—T,' because we don't swear.' The mom of five also credited their fulfilled life to McDonough's time in showbiz. 10 Neal McDonough and Ruvé McDonough pose during 'The Last Rodeo' red carpet. Getty Images 'We cannot explain and express how blessed we are, how happy we are,' Robertson stressed. 'Everything that's going on, talking about how Hollywood dissed Neal and whatnot — no. Everything that's happened has brought us closer to where we are now.' Earlier in the week, McDonough had appeared on the 'Nothing Left Unsaid' podcast, where he shared his experience since breaking into the business in 2001. 'I always had in my contracts that I wouldn't kiss another woman on screen,' he revealed to hosts Tim Green and Troy Green. 'My wife didn't have any problem with it. It was me, really, who had a problem. I was like, 'Yeah, I don't want to put you through it. I know we're going to start having kids, and I don't want to put my kids through it.'' 10 Neal McDonough and his wife at an Emmys after party in 2002. Kathryn Indiek/ImageDirect However, not everyone was understanding toward the 'Desperate Housewives' star. 'Intimacy is a whole different thing for me. When I wouldn't do it, and they couldn't understand it, Hollywood just completely turned on me,' said McDonough. 'They wouldn't let me be part of the show anymore. And for two years, I couldn't get a job, and I lost everything you could possibly imagine. Not just houses and material things, but your swagger, your cool, who you are, your identity, everything.' The 'Shift' star even felt like he lost his identity as a performer. 10 Neal McDonough and Nicollette Sheridan in 'Desperate Housewives.' ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 Neal McDonough in 'Suits.' ©USA Networks/Courtesy Everett Collection 'My identity was an actor, and a really good one,' he stated, 'and once you don't have that identity, you're kind of in a tailspin. And I was in a big, ugly tailspin for a couple of years.' After the incident, McDonough – whose acting credits also include 'Band of Brothers,' 'Arrow,' 'Justified,' and 'Tulsa King' – started drinking more. 'I never drank during the set. I never drank during work because I love my craft and I take it with the utmost seriousness in everything I do,' he shared. 'But after work or days off or anything, I still feel like I wasn't a man. I didn't feel that I was doing the right things or some things just weren't clicking.' 10 Neal McDonough, Dawn Olivieri in the 2024 film 'Homestead.' Courtesy Everett Collection For McDonough, when he put down the bottle, 'everything just kind of changed.' 'Literally, the clouds parted. I was like, 'Oh. I don't need this crutch. Oh, people are calling me. Oh, I am successful. Oh, I do like myself again. Ok, I am God's child, and I have a job to do. Stop wallowing in self-pity. Dust yourself off and go hit it hard.'' McDonough, who tied the knot with the South African model in 2003, didn't name the show he was allegedly fired from. 10 Neal McDonough and his wife Ruve share a kiss. DMI Back in 2019, however, he did tell Closer Weekly that in 2010, he lost his role on the ABC drama 'Scoundrels' because of his no-sex-scene rule. 'It was a horrible situation for me,' confessed McDonough. 'After that, I couldn't get a job because everybody thought I was this religious zealot. I am very religious. I put God and family first, and me second. That's what I live by. It was hard for a few years.' Luckily, one of the 'Band of Brothers' producers helped the star revive his career. 10 Neal McDonough and his wife at the premiere of 'Minority Report.' 'Graham Yost called me and said, 'Hey, I want you to be the bad guy on Justified,'' McDonough recalled. 'I knew that was my shot back at the title.' These days, the Hollywood icon has also found a way around the no kissing on screen rule. In McDonough's 2025 feature film, 'The Last Rodeo,' Robertson portrayed his on-screen wife, and they shared a kiss. 10 Neal McDonough attends the world premiere of Disney's 'Zombies 4: Dawn Of The Vampires.' Hollywood To You / BACKGRID 'She was so great in the movie, and to kiss my wife, my real-life wife, in a movie that I wrote and produced and gave glory to Him in,' McDonough gushed while on the 'Nothing Left Unsaid' podcast, adding that he couldn't picture 'anything really better than that in my life when it comes to my career because it's finally one of those things where I made it, and I did it our way.'
