Rick Harrison, the 61-year-old star of the History Channel's Pawn Stars, is recovering after an emergency bypass surgery that began as a routine procedure, just eight months after marrying his fifth wife in Las Vegas.
Harrison went into the hospital for what was expected to be a standard stent procedure. Doctors discovered a more serious problem during the operation and moved immediately to emergency bypass surgery, a family spokesperson told Fox News.
The surgery was successful. A spokesperson for the Harrison family said he "is resting comfortably and looking forward to a full recovery" and "is grateful for the doctors and staff at the hospital and that his wife and family can be with him during this time." His wife, Angie Polushkin, 42, a Las Vegas nurse, was at his side throughout.
Neither the hospital's name nor the exact date of the surgery has been disclosed publicly. The news broke Friday, with the Daily Mail reporting details of the health scare alongside a look back at a turbulent stretch in Harrison's personal life.
Harrison and Polushkin tied the knot on January 3 at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas, with an Elvis Presley impersonator presiding over the ceremony. Harrison's granddaughter Elizabeth was present, though his son Corey, a fellow Pawn Stars cast member who now lives in Mexico, and costar Chumlee were not in attendance. Harrison did not have a best man.
The couple gave a joint statement to People magazine at the time:
"[We] are so excited to start this next chapter as husband and wife and celebrate with friends and family in Las Vegas. It has been such an adventure already, and we are looking forward to all of it."
Harrison proposed in March 2025 during a trip to a winery in Chile, presenting Polushkin with a 6.5-carat ring. She posted a carousel of photos on Instagram with the caption: "We toured a beautiful winery in Chile and Rick got down on one knee." Harrison's own post was simpler: "She said yes!"
After the wedding, the couple celebrated at Rick's Rollin Smoke BBQ & Tavern, Harrison's restaurant, and planned a honeymoon trip to Cancun. Harrison told TMZ he was "happy we've made it official" and called Polushkin "the best."
The bypass surgery caps a stretch of personal hardship for Harrison that would test anyone. His father, Richard Harrison, known to Pawn Stars viewers as "The Old Man", died from Parkinson's disease at age 77 in June 2018.
In 2024, Harrison's son Adam died at age 39. His death was attributed to accidental fentanyl and methamphetamine toxicity. Then, in November 2025, Harrison's mother, Joanne, died at age 85, just weeks before the engagement to Polushkin became public.
Polushkin is Harrison's fifth wife. He was previously married to Tracy Harrison, with whom he shares a son, Jake; to Kim Harrison, with whom he had two sons, Corey and the late Adam; to Deanna Burditt, from whom he split in 2020; and to Amanda Palmer, to whom he was married from 2021 to 2023.
Harrison has been a fixture on American television since Pawn Stars debuted on the History Channel, turning his Las Vegas pawn shop into one of the most recognizable small businesses in the country. He has also been open about his conservative political views, and was photographed with Donald Trump in Las Vegas last month.
No details about the underlying condition that prompted the original stent procedure have been released, and the family has not provided a timeline for Harrison's return to work or public life.
For now, the man who has spent years sizing up what things are worth has a reminder that some things can't be appraised from behind a counter.
