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AMERICAN Pickers star Frank Fritz and his ex-girlfriend Diann Bankson dated on-and-off for years before their relationship ended with mutual accusations of infidelity.
Frank sadly passed away on October 1, 2024 at the age of 60, after he suffered a devastating stroke in 2022 — here’s everything we know about his ex Diann Bankson.
Diann Bankson with her ex-fiancé Frank Fritz[/caption]
Who is Diann Bankson?
Diann Bankson is Frank Fritz’s ex-girlfriend.
They had a long-standing relationship that predated their public appearance as a couple in 2016.
The pair had an on-again, off-again dynamic that spanned several decades.
Their romance was characterized by ups and downs, leading to an engagement.
Controversies and legal issues
The relationship took a dramatic turn when Bankson publicly accused Fritz of infidelity, claiming she caught him in bed with another woman.
Bankson and Fritz got engaged in 2017 and were living together in his Iowa farmhouse at the time.
In November 2018, she “walked in and caught him in bed with another woman.”
After the two reconciled, she claimed an incident took place at the farmhouse when Frank and a friend set off fireworks.
In January 2021, Bankson filed a lawsuit against Fritz, alleging negligence related to fireworks that resulted in her suffering third-degree burns.
Diann claimed the men “had been drinking” at the time, as she went into the home while they lit the fireworks.
She continued in the court papers that the men were unable to light a firework.
Diann alleged: “Both defendants then put it in a closed cylinder vintage ashtray and tried to light it there.
“The firework did not light again and the Defendant just left it in the covered intake ashtray instead of properly disposing the firework.”
She then claimed that she wasn’t warned about the ashtray, as she used it while smoking a cigarette.
They both accused each other of infidelity[/caption]
The lawsuit continued to claim: “The ashtray blew up severely burning her hand and arm with third degree burns and burnt off eyelashes and eyebrows.”
She sought $50,000 for damages, including pain and suffering, but dropped the lawsuit just two months later.
Mutual accusations
Both Fritz and Bankson made serious allegations against each other.
Fritz claimed that Bankson had an affair for two and a half years during their time together and attributed his struggles with alcohol to the emotional toll of their relationship.
Conversely, Bankson maintained her accusations regarding Fritz’s infidelity.
Following their separation in 2019, tensions remained high.
Fritz changed the locks on a shared home in Iowa, effectively locking Bankson out.
In interviews after their breakup, both expressed a desire to move on but also hinted at lingering resentment and unresolved issues.
Following the split, Bankson said: “I don’t care to have drama or chaos in my life, I’m just trying to heal right now. It’s been two years, I’m ready to move on.”
