The Twist: The Lawsuit That Broke the Family

The first crack in the Hardison family empire didn’t come from a customer, but from Rick’s mother, Joanne Hardison. Frail and recovering from surgery, she claimed Rick manipulated her into signing over majority ownership of the pawn shop while she was hospitalized. In a lawsuit that stunned fans, Joanne accused Rick of hiding silver bullion, siphoning profits, and withholding over $600,000 from her late husband’s estate. Rick denied the allegations, insisting, “This family built everything together.”

The scandal quickly expanded. Austin “Chump” Russo was caught with illegal firearms and narcotics, tarnishing his goofy persona. Corey “Big Boss” Hardison spiraled through public incidents, including vandalism, arrests, and, eventually, a violent armed robbery that led to a life sentence by 2025. The show’s rotating experts faced legal trouble, undermining credibility. Pawn Plaza, Rick’s flashy retail expansion, collapsed into empty shops and lawsuits.

By 2023, public humiliation was complete: employees were fired over old controversies, accusations of fraud surfaced, and fan trust evaporated. Today, Rick has retreated from the spotlight, Austin drifts between rehab and failed ventures, and the pawn shop remains a Las Vegas cautionary tale—a tourist stop in front of a tarnished family legacy, a reminder of fame undone by scandal, mismanagement, and personal downfall.