The name Austin Lee Russell may not mean anything to most people, but if someone were to say the name "Chumlee," there's no question that the name would evoke all sorts of positive images. Needless to say, Chumlee is one of the stars of History Channel's hit show, "Pawn Stars," and he's arguably the best known star of all.
Unfortunately, his legion of fans thought that he was dead! Why would fans of Chumlee think he was dead?
Chumlee is just the latest victim of the so-called celebrity death hoax
Many celebrities have been victims of the so-called "celebrity death hoax." In the past, wrestler John Cena and "Star Wars" actor Mark Hamill were all thought to be dead, even though they were very much alive.
Chumlee, however, was thought to be dead by his fans because he hadn't been active on social media for quite some time. It was only recently that he broke his silence and began posting again. This also isn't the first time that Chumlee was the victim of a celebrity death hoax -- back in 2014, he was rumored to be dead as well. However, even though the beloved "Pawn Stars" star is very much alive, he's not without his problems. Currently, he is serving three years of probation, which he accepted as part of a plea deal.
The plea deal that he accepted stemmed from an incident in March 2016. At the time, Chumlee's ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual assault. Police raided his property, wherein they found many illegal drugs and weapons.
He was arrested and charged with more than 20 felony counts that could have made him serve jail time for the rest of his life.
Fortunately for "Pawn Stars" fans, Chumlee only pled guilty to one felony weapons charge, as well as a misdemeanor charge involving the drugs found in his possession. He also agreed to get counseling in exchange for his freedom.
So, will Chumleee return to "Pawn Stars" any time soon? Fans are not sure -- but we do know that he's missed. He's been friends with the shopowners for a long time -- even before they went on the air -- so maybe they'll have some room for him here.
