Gold Rush's Fred Lewis Is Surprised By The Amount Of Haters He Attracts

Fans of Discovery's gold mining reality show "Gold Rush" aren't shy about criticizing its cast members if they feel it's warranted. In particular, Fred Lewis is a frequent subject of criticism among fans on social media. The amount of hate he attracts, in fact, reached a point where Lewis defended his house drama on Instagram. There, he explained that he did indeed risk losing his house when transitioning to gold mining work as the show occasionally references, in response to some fans sharing that they don't believe this to be true.

In an interview with Idaho Press, Lewis addressed his reputation among "Gold Rush" fans directly, sharing that he's surprised by the extent of the backlash he faces. "I honestly never knew I would have haters in my life," Lewis told the Idaho-based news outlet. "I've never been in a fight or had any problems with people."

Of course, Lewis didn't necessarily set out to become a public figure, so it's unsurprising that this near-inevitable and doubtlessly unpleasant aspect of his TV stardom would come as a shock to him. And unfortunately for Lewis, as he goes on to explain in the interview, opening himself up to some of this online hate is a byproduct of avenues he hopes to use to make a positive impact.

After sharing his surprise at the extent of the criticism toward his "Gold Rush" role, Fred Lewis told Idaho Press that one reason he's acutely aware of fans' negativity is that he opens himself up to the public specifically for the sake of developing camaraderie with fellow military veterans.

"It's hard for me because I can't weed out the stuff before it happens because I'm trying to make myself available to veterans," Lewis said. "I want vets anywhere to contact me, to email me. And that opens the floodgates for all the haters."

While Lewis may not enjoy the fact that he faces such widespread hate, he told Idaho Press that he intends on taking it in stride. "It's a weird environment to be in and nothing I'm used to, but I welcome it. Come at me, and I'll talk to you. I don't care," he continued.

So, while Lewis may well be surprised by the extensive backlash against his "Gold Rush" persona he faces through his public availability, it doesn't seem to weight too heavily on him based on his willingness to confront his critics head-on.