"It's been hard to be silent while rumors spread untruths and foster hate," Wolfe's girlfriend wrote on her Instagram story.

On Tuesday, Oct. 1, Wolfe announced in a statement shared on Instagram that Fritz died on Sept. 30, two years after he suffered a stroke. Calling him a "dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny," Wolfe revealed that he was by his former co-host's side when he died.

Folks welcomed the “American Pickers” team of Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe and their show into their living rooms for years, so the news that Fritz passed away this week was heartbreaking for many.