What Happened To Chumlee, Does He Have A Wife And What About His Net Worth?

For followers of the reality television show, Pawn Stars, Chumlee needs no introduction. The American has been a cast member of the show ever since he joined it at the age of 21. He has since then grown to become one of the most popular characters on Pawn Stars, as he leverages his fame to further diversify his portfolio by launching multiple business ventures.

Over the past few years, Chumlee has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. This has brought him unneeded bad publicity, something he now works overtime to correct. One way through which he has been able to do this is by embarking on a weight loss journey that saw him lose an impressive 34kg in a year.

Chumlee’s Life Before Fame

On September 5, 1982, in Henderson, Nevada, Chumlee was welcomed into the world as Austin Lee Russell. His now popular nickname was given to him by his friend’s dad when he was about 12 years of age. As the story goes, the man likened him to the walrus named Chumley in the animated TV series, Tennessee Tuxedo, due to his large face and chin.

Since his childhood, Chumlee has been friends with his boss Rick Harrison‘s son, Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison. Rick is the founder of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop that gained worldwide popularity thanks to the Pawn Stars reality series. As kids, Chumlee and Big Hoss would often spend time at the pawnshop. When they became of age, the two boys started making a living in the shop and thus became popular as a result of their roles there.

Apart from his behind-the-counter duties which include testing and loading items, and writing tickets for purchased items, Chumlee has an exclusive area of expertise in vintage pinball machines.

Run-in with the Law and Subsequent Arrest 

On March 9, 2016, following sexual assault allegations that were leveled against Chumlee, his Las Vegas home was raided by the authorities. What was subsequently found by law enforcement in his house was incriminating, to say the least. Crystal meth, marijuana, and Xanax were found alongside evidence of possible cocaine usage. Unregistered firearms were also found on the property.

Chumlee was immediately arrested but a day later, he was released after posting a bail of $62,000. The reality TV star then appeared in court on March 11, 2016. He was arraigned and charged with 20 felony counts. He went on to enter a guilty plea and was able to escape jail time as he was put on 3 years probation. He was also required to do counseling. The aforementioned sexual assault charges were later dropped.

To the delight of fans of Pawn Stars, Chumlee’s misdemeanor did not affect his appearance on the TV show. His fans would be hoping that their favorite personality would not be having any more run-ins as this case was not his first. Back in 2008, he was arrested for loitering around for prostitution. It is not clear what subsequently happened and whether he was charged to court as a result.

The Radical Weight Loss Program He Embarked On After Losing His Dad To Pancreatic Cancer

Chumlee has credited his massive weight loss to his then-girlfriend, Tanya. Losing his father to Pancreatic Cancer was also a big motivation for him to work on his weight. The star said he weighed about 320 pounds at the time he started working out and was able to go all the way down to 225.

To achieve this, he had to eliminate all processed foods from his diet, except mustard. He also made regular visits to the gym, going six days a week. By doing all of this, including drinking a juice smoothie every morning, Chumlee was able to bring his weight under control.

Sometime in the past, Chumlee found himself to be a victim of the celebrity death hoax wave. He immediately took to Twitter to debunk the rumor which said he had died of a heart attack as a result of his massive weight.

Chumlee’s Love Life Has Been Topsy Turvy

Chumlee’s first notable relationship was with Lebanese television personality and chef, Tanya Hyjazi. The two met in 2003 at the D Casino Hotel where she was celebrating her birthday. They were said to have had an instant connection and started dating.

Not much was known about the couple until they made the news when Chumlee paid for her to have a boob job. The relationship lasted for about three years until it hit the rocks around the time the reality TV star was arrested by the police for drug possession. It is, however, not quite clear what led to the end of the relationship.

After Tanya, Chumlee started dating Olivia Rademann who he claims to have known for some years. Two years into the relationship, in May 2018, the pair got engaged at the Royal Hawaiian Waikiki. Chum proposed with a dazzling one-and-a-half karat diamond ring. Their engagement was celebrated with a dinner party at the D’s Andiamo Steakhouse.

Going by what they share on Instagram, it is obvious that the pair are in love and are also intent on having a wedding to remember. Their wedding was then planned to be in two parts; the first being a Vegas event with close family and friends at the D Las Vegas while the second would be in Hawaii.

In attendance at the Vegas wedding were Rick and Corey Harrison of Pawn Stars, rapper Mikey P., and D Las Vegas co-owner Derek Stevens and his wife, Nicole. The second part of the wedding was held in Hawaii in August 2019.

Unfortunately, in early 2020, rumors had it that the couple had gone their separate ways. This is, however, yet to be confirmed by either party.

How Wealthy Is Chumlee and What is His Net Worth?

Chumlee started making money when the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas made an appearance on Comedy Central’s Insomniac with Dave Attell in 2003. In 2009, the shop landed its very own reality TV show called Pawn Stars on The History Chanel, which then made all those that worked there reality TV stars.

By 2011, Pawn Stars became the highest-rated show on The History Chanel. The popularity of the series brought huge wealth and fame to the stars of the show, with Chumlee being the most famous of all as a result of his comedic abilities. He is paid $25,000 for each episode he appears in.

In addition to his earnings from the show, Chumlee has used his popularity on the show as a business advantage. He started his own company which deals in novelty items of his own design. His boss Rick Harrison bought half the company in 2010 for $155,000.

Thanks to all of this, Chumlee is reported to have an estimated net worth of $5 million. This is clearly evident through the fact that he lives a very lavish lifestyle.

He is Big on Living the Exotic Life

Chumlee owns a 6,200 square feet Las Vegas home that has been described as the ultimate party crib. It has five bedrooms and six bathrooms and comes with exotic Brazilian countertops and flooring, Venetian plaster, crown moulding, custom cabinets, and a rooftop deck with a perfect view of the Strip.

There’s also a four-bedroom, two-bathroom guesthouse on the property that’s almost 1,700 square feet and a 2,100-square-foot RV garage. In 2019, it was reported that he sold this Las Vegas party pad for $1.375 million.

Chumlee is also an avid shoe collector with over 200 pairs in his closet. He also owns a number of exotic cars, including a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a Cadillac Escalade, a Maserati GranTurismo, a 1986 Buick Regal, a Range Rover, and a 1964 Impala SS.