James Harness, ‘Gold Rush’ Star, Dies At Age Of 57


James Harness of Gold Rush has died after experiencing some serious medical issues over the couple of years. TMZ shared the details regarding the 57-year-old’s death.

Harness, who fans will remember from the first two seasons of Gold Rush, had suffered a stroke and apparently died about a week later. His funeral was expected to take place in Oregon where he lived over the weekend. He was fired during the second season because he reportedly was dealing with a pain pill addiction that made him unreliable. The addiction came after a car accident that left him with serious back injuries.

The 57-year-old former Gold Rush star was divorced and had a daughter and a son. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, James Harness was a mechanic on the first two seasons of the Discovery network show. It is said that the debilitating back pain he experienced after his car accident severely limited his ability to work on the show, though it seems he still meant a lot to those on the show.

The show’s creator Todd Hoffman tweeted “RIP James Harness” after learning of his death. Later Hoffman tweeted, “Remembering the good times I had with a friend. #jamesharness #RIP.” Others tied to the show along with Gold Rush fans have shared their heartfelt sentiments on Twitter as well. Despite the battles he faced, Harness is clearly remembered fondly by fans.

At the time of Harness’ challenges during filming, much of the conflict played out on-screen. James had been Todd’s right-hand man in many ways. When he was late or unable to work, it created problems for everybody. Fans definitely picked up on the issues at the time, and ultimately the show apparently had no choice but to let him go.

It sounds as if life remained quite difficult for the Oregon native. Many fans are commenting online that they had wondered what had happened to Harness after he left the show, and many had been concerned about how he was doing. Sadly there wasn’t a happy ending for the well-remembered star.

Gold Rush season 5 is on the way, though reports from Starcasm indicate that the faces in the mix may look quite a bit different this time. Though crew members come and go on this type of show over the years, the upcoming changes may have some fans upset. James Harness’ death isn’t the first time fans of Gold Rush have had to deal with concerning news regarding a star, as Parker Schnabel’s grandpa John had been dealing with prostate cancer. Luckily at this point, John Schnabel seems to be doing okay.

While James Harness’ death won’t need to be addressed on season 5 when it premieres, many feel that his loss will still be felt as viewers follow along with the new adventures in these coming episodes.

[Image via PopTower]

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