'Pawn Stars'' Chumlee Reveals 160-Lb. Weight Loss, Asks Fans If They've Struggled With Weight Too

Oct 26, 2021 by apost team

"Pawn Stars" has been on the air since 2009, when it was the History Channel's highest-rated show and the second-ranked reality show in the U.S. When the show debuted, it starred Rick Harrison, his father, Richard "Old Man" Harrison, his son Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison and Austin "Chumlee" Russell. 

The series showcases the interactions between the staff of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop — which Rick opened in 1989 with his father — and their customers. The clientele brings in artifacts and other valuable items to be appraised and then sold or pawned. You can see some of the customers try to negotiate or haggle on the value of the items throughout the show. Rick also takes the time to explain the history of each piece.

With 18 seasons behind its belt, "Pawn Stars" has had 637 episodes over the years and has become something of a fan favorite when it comes to reality shows. The show is hugely successful and has fans from all around the world. The staff who work at the pawnshop are now celebrities in their own right. 

One of these is Russell, better known as Chumlee, who has his own following after finding himself to be the comedic foil on "Pawn Stars." After struggling with his weight for some time, the reality TV star recently revealed a dramatic weight loss after undergoing gastric sleeve surgery. Going from his heaviest weight of 350 lbs. in Jan. 2019 to 190 lbs. today, Chumlee is showing off his weight loss on social media and he couldn't be prouder.  

Born on Sep. 8, 1982, in Henderson, Nevada as Austin Lee Russell or Chumlee, as he's now best known, he was given his famous nickname around the age of 12. The father of a friend of his thought that due to his large face and chin he resembled Chumley, a walrus from "Tennessee Tuxedo," an animated TV show, and the moniker stuck. More recently, Chumlee revealed via his Instagram that he is of part Scottish ancestry.

It was also during his childhood that he made the connection to the Harrison family when he and Corey became good friends as kids. In fact, Chumlee would be 7 and Corey 6 when the Harrisons opened the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in 1989, so it's fair to say they literally grew up surrounded by the pawn business and the shop at which they'd later work.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, when Chumlee began working at the Harrison family's pawn shop at the age of 21. The future star worked at the shop for five years before the show "Pawn Stars" would begin filming in July 2009. Little did he know that his life would change forever. While at the store, Chumlee's duties included working behind-the-counter, which involved testing and loading items, as well as writing tickets for customers who had purchased goods. Although he's now incredibly well known for working at the store, we're sure Chumlee had no idea at the time that the years spent honing his craft before the cameras started rolling would make such an impact. 

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Despite his closeness with the Harrison family since he was a kid, once "Pawn Stars" began airing, it became evident that Chumlee was seen as the butt of jokes in the store, often for his perceived lack of knowledge and incompetence, even being referred to as a "village idiot." But over time, not only did his knowledge and expertise come to the fore, his role as the comic foil also landed him a big fanbase.

One moment when he proved himself was in the season two episode "Pinball Wizards," where he was able to show off his expertise about pinball machines, much to Corey's surprise. Stating that he's often underestimated, over time Chumlee has really shown how capable he is. He emerged as a breakout star and went on to become a fan favorite on the show, which also began to garner a fervent fanbase.

Last year Rick offered his thoughts to Fox News on why he thinks the show has been so successful:

"I think it's a lot of things. First off, most reality shows are pretty much scripted. Mine is not. And it's truly different every week. And people want to learn, but they don't want to feel like they're sitting around with a professor. I give all the history lessons and I make learning entertaining on the show."

On top of this, its stars are entertaining to watch, which certainly helps. With 18 seasons behind its belt, the show has truly changed the lives of everyone who works at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.    

Being so well-loved by the public, it only made sense for Chumlee to do something for his fans. This led him to start a company that sells novelty items of his own designs. In 2010, he sold half of his share in the company to Rick for $155,000, which meant that the shop could fulfill orders of the merchandise in a more efficient way. Perhaps unsurprising considering his popularity, Chumlee's sales of merch surpassed others from the show.

The burgeoning star was so well-loved that he continued to take on new opportunities. Together with Rick and Corey, he appeared as himself on an episode of the series "iCarly," titled "iLost My Head in Vegas." Then in May 2017, he opened his own store in Las Vegas, a candy shop named Chumlee's Candy on the Boulevard, which is situated across the street from the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.

Speaking with the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2017, Chumlee spoke about the inspiration behind opening up a candy store specifically:

“I wanted to start a candy shop, and here we are. My brother and I wanted to do something fun, and candy is fun.”

He also addressed the fact that he was branching out on his own, telling the publication that it was time for him to open his own business venture:

“Let’s face it, it’s been 13 seasons now. 460 episodes, it’s time to acknowledge the fact that Chumlee might be able to open up his own business by now.”

He also joked that down the line the store could introduce "Pawn Stars" candy, explaining: “We could have something like Rick’s Gold Bars — chocolate bars — or Chumlee Lollipops. ‘Everyone wants to lick Chumlee!’"   

In a 2021 interview with Looper, Chumlee was asked whether he'd ever do his own spinoff show, considering his popularity on "Pawn Stars." He told the publication:

"I would do a spinoff show, but everyone says the grass is greener on the other side. But we love doing Pawn Stars, takes us about seven months to film it out of the year. I just don't know if there's enough in the candy shop, it's in the shipping container right there. What I think we should do is a spinoff of the whole pawn [area]. There's the barbecue next to me, I've got the candy shop, you know what I mean, Corey can have the pizza."

Chumlee might be famous for his day job but alongside his professional endeavors, he also has a lot going on in his personal life. An avid collector of shoes, he owns over 200 pairs of sneakers, which were shown off in a video from 2013. He even used his expertise of sneakers to try and land a huge deal for Rick on the show but unfortunately, Rick didn't go for it, with many people thinking it was a huge loss.

Other interests of his include the Pokémon Trading Card Game — which he also tried to score a big deal for the store with — video games and skateboarding. He's also a fan of superhero movies and once said that if he had to be a character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe he'd be Iron Man. He also has a boastful collection of cars including a customized 1986 Buick Regal, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati GranTurismo, 1964 Impala SS and a Range Rover.   

But outside of the show and his interests, the 39-year-old has had his fair share of personal problems. From run-ins with the law to issues with his weight, Chumlee has come a long way in the last few years. Back in 2016, the star made headlines for all the wrong reasons. After police raided his Las Vegas home that year as part of an investigation of sexual assault charges, they found various illegal narcotics and multiple firearms in his possession. After being arrested and released on bond the next day, he was set to appear in court soon after.

Eventually, he underwent a plea deal that included one count of gun possession and one count of attempted drug possession. The deal meant that he didn't serve time and was instead sentenced to counseling and three years' probation. The situation must have served as a wake-up call to Chumlee, who soon after began to make other major changes in his life, notably his health and weight.

Five years following his arrest, the star's full transformation is complete, but he didn't get there without hard work and perseverance. Speaking with TMZ earlier this month, Chumlee talked about his journey undergoing gastric sleeve surgery in a bid to get his weight under control. He revealed that during his years-long struggle with his weight, he would have fluctuations that were sometimes as big as 100 lbs. After hitting his heaviest weight of 350 lbs. in Jan. 2019, he decided he was tired of yo-yo dieting and decided to do something about his health.   

According to UCLA Health, gastric sleeve surgery usually removes up to 75-80 percent of the stomach, which leads to a smaller appetite and reduced feelings of hunger, allowing people who undergo the surgery to get to a healthy weight much easier. Currently, it's the most commonly performed bariatric procedure in the US and globally.

Revealing that he also tested for sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder wherein breathing stops and starts, while he was at his heaviest weight, Chumlee knew he had to make a big change. One month after hitting his heaviest weight in Jan. 2019, he underwent gastric sleeve surgery at Las Vegas' Blossom Bariatrics. In the time that's elapsed since then, he's lost 160 lbs, stating that his goal was not only to get healthy but to stay healthy. Today, the reality star weighs 190 lbs. and admits to feeling great. And judging by his social media channels, the change has been more than just physical. 

In the interview with Looper earlier this year, he credits the surgery to being the "tool" that he needed to get his health journey on track, but he admits there's also a mental component. He said:

"I still have that mental battle. I always tell people I got that big because I enjoy eating food. Enjoyed the taste of it, it's comforting. So I got the surgery, it's helped me, it's been a mental battle. I stay in the gym, but I try to go not continuously in there. I try to go there three days a week, I miss weeks here and there, but I just try to stay focused and eat well and live healthy."   

Ever since his incredible weight loss journey, Chumlee appears to have found a new lease on life, as he continues to focus on staying healthy by eating clean, exercising and surrounding himself with a strong support system. He also posted to his Facebook in early October, sharing his story and inspiring his fans to do the same. Alongside before and after pictures of his weight loss, Chumlee wrote:

"Can you believe it, I've lost over 150lbs !! How many people out there have always struggled with your weight like I did?" 

He's also taken his positive message to Instagram, where he's been sharing uplifting messages alongside photos of himself. One caption reads, "You could have everything you want, if you can put your heart and soul into everything you do." Another photo he posted has a quote that says:

"Please love yourself instead of loving the idea of other people loving you." 

Back in May, the star posted a since-deleted message on his Instagram, as reported by InTouch Weekly. He shared some sage advice for fans, writing:

“Be yourself even when others don’t understand. We live in a time where people judge you from their beliefs, I say judge a person on their morals and their beliefs, individuality is beautiful and I see too many people trying to strip that from us. Live your life, be kind, spread love and live for yourself.”

Clearly taking his own advice, it's wonderful to see Chumlee living a healthy and happy life and inspiring others to do the same.  

Are you a fan of Austin "Chumlee" Russell and the show "Pawn Stars"? What do you think about his incredible weight loss transformation? If you found this inspiring, pass it on to those you know.