American Chopper: First Of Its Kind
You’ve probably heard of all kinds of reality shows- some absolutely entertaining and some downright ridiculous. American Chopper, however, was definitely one of the first of its kind. Up until its airing, there weren’t any reality shows that followed family drama and heated moments around a world of motorcycles.
What made things even engaging for the audience was that none of it was scripted!
Drinking Problem
Among some of the show’s secrets was the ongoing battle that Paul Sr. had with his substance abuse.
He was so in deep into the addiction, leading his wife to urge him to go to rehab. But what’s alarming is that both his sons were dealing with the same issues! In fact, at the young age of 16, Paul Jr. already experienced going to rehab.
The Pauls At Odds
tually caused the show a bunch
One of the defining moments of the show was Paul Sr.’s decision to fire Paul Jr. This whole altercation ac of legal problems as their contract required both of the men’s show participation.
As stubborn as he was, Paul Sr. decided to ignore these warnings, up until TLC filed a notice that production would be canceled. It was only then that Paul Sr. started to cooperate, and filming eventually resumed.
Contract Issues
After this defining moment came yet another highlight in the Sr. vs. Jr. feud. Apparently, Paul Jr.’s contract stated that he could be bought out of Orange County Choppers by his father.
This loophole added a whole new dimension to their feud, entailing that Paul Jr. could lose all his rights to appear on the show.
Father-Son Lawsuit
Obviously, with all the chaos that his son was bringing into his, Paul Sr. decided to take advantage of the loophole. This led to Paul Sr. taking over the whole company, with a shocking attempt of pushing his son out.
What’s even more alarming is that Paul Sr. even sued him for a crazy $1 million dollars! Now that’s some serious family beef right there! Fortunately for Paul Jr., he ended up winning that case.