COREY “BIG HOSS” HARRISON and sidekick AUSTIN “CHUMLEE” RUSSELL escaped the hell of drug a ddiction to become the celebrated stars of the History channel’s hit show, “Pawn Stars.”
But Big Hoss says he paid a BIG price – his battle to beat meth made him FAT!
In his dad Rick Harrison’s new book, “License to Pawn,” Big Hoss reveals that he replaced his drug addiction with a new “drug” habit – Carl’s Jr. Double-Bacon Cheeseburgers, french fries and Cokes!
“I gained 100 pounds in 16 months,” ballooning up to his current weight of more than 300 pounds, he admits.
Big Hoss became addicted to crystal meth as a teen. For five years, he crashed with friends and stole from tourists on the Las Vegas strip for money to feed his $800-a-day habit.
His father told him: “You want to be a drug addict, fine. Go be a drug addict out on the streets.”
Big Hoss, who once stayed up for five days and nights without sleep, was arrested after he hallucinated that a group of girls was stealing his dad’s car. He began screaming at them as he pulled them from the vehicle. Unfortunately for Big Hoss, the car belonged to the young women!
When Big Hoss’ biological mother showed up to bail him out, it was the salvation he needed. She took him to California, where he eventually kicked his meth habit before moving back to Vegas “a hundred pounds heavier but way lighter in my soul.”
Meanwhile, Chumlee, 28, broke free of his teenage drug habit through the help he received from his father’s home AA meetings. And things got even brighter when Rick bought a Quiznos franchise and hired the boys to run it for him.
The two eventually moved on to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop with Big Hoss’ dad and grandfather – and that led to TV stardom!