What Happened To Jake Harris From Deadliest Catch? Explained

Jake Harris was best known for his work catching crabs off the coast of Alaska, which was featured on the Discovery Series Deadliest Catch. Unfortunately, off-camera, he would suffer a slew of problems in his personal life. So, what happened to Jake Harris from Deadliest Catch?

What Happened To Jake Harris From Deadliest Catch?

Jake Harris worked with his brother Josh and his father Phil, and their fishing boat was a family business featured prominently in earlier seasons of Deadliest Catch. The struggles of the Harris family would be laid bare in the series, not just in their profession but also in their personal lives. A major hint to what would become of Jake can be seen in Season 6, Episode 11, where he opens up about his addiction after stealing his father’s pain medication. Jake would eventually check into rehab at the end of the sixth season.

The fisherman returned to the series in later seasons, especially following his father’s death, when he and Josh took over the family business. It was on Jake’s return in Season 8 that he would suffer from his addiction again, being arrested for a DUI in 2010. After that, little would be heard from Jake besides a brief appearance in Season 13 of the show. He would disappear from the series again, but not from the media. Unfortunately, Jake would become the focus of several different news posts online due to one crime or another he would commit. A notable one would be in 2017 when he was arrested for possession of illegal substances and for stealing a car.

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In 2019, Jake was sentenced to prison in Washington State for once again driving under the influence. However, this time, another much more severe charge followed: the intent to manufacture and distribute heroin. The former reality TV star was involved in a police chase before he was eventually apprehended. Harris served time in prison for this egregious act and was released, and he fell into his pattern of addiction yet again. As it stands, Jake is currently serving time in prison once more for both driving under the influence of drugs as well as using a revoked license.

Jake Harris’ tragic story of addiction is only one part of the larger and sad story of the Harris family that was featured on Deadliest Catch. Hopefully, he and the other members of his extended family can find a way to move forward.

New episodes of Deadliest Catch Season 20 air Tuesdays on Discovery Channel, Discovery+ and HBO Max.