Following the release of "Gold Rush" Season 13 Episode 1, fans on Reddit theorized that the ominous cliffhanger surrounding Rick Ness is an elaborate ruse staged by the showrunners, and that the real reason he hasn't been in touch is because he just became a father. "There's been so much rumour and unsubstantiated gossip about Rick Ness... putting my bet in now, it's all guff. Rick had a kid with his girlfriend," asserts u/Clarky1979. "I actually had the same thought," agreed u/nutbucks. "The twist could be that he had the kid with someone else."
Although there is currently no evidence online that Rick Ness and his girlfriend Leese Marie have had a child, most of the conviction surrounding this theory has to do with the series' history of staging events for the sake of television drama. "You know its scripted when a 'concerned friend' shows up to your house with a full camera crew," claimed u/morbidshapeinblack. "'He hasnt text or called me back in a while.' So lets ambush him at his front door with a **** ton of cameras so we can blast his issues out to the public!"
Indeed, there have been plenty of claims over the years that most of what you see on "Gold Rush" is completely fake and scripted — including one from former cast member Jimmy Dorsey who alleged that his dramatic departure from the series was 100% staged. As shocking as it could be to discover that Rick Ness' disappearance actually stems from Rick having a child, it seems as though most fans still believe that this dramatic cliffhanger is complete fabrication from the show itself – regardless of what the truth might be.
