A familiar face will be missing when Deadliest Catch returns to Discovery Channel on April 18. Josh Harris, who has appeared in nearly 200 episodes of the long-running reality series, was dropped from the show after disturbing sexual assault allegations against him surfaced.
Josh Harris cut from future episodes of ‘Deadliest Catch’
In 2022, reports began to circulate online that Harris had been accused of sexually abusing a 4-year-old child more than two decades ago. According to a report in The Sun, the child’s mother reported the rape to police in 1998. Harris was arrested in 1999 and later pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 30 days of confinement on two charges (one count of Fourth Degree Assault and one count of Communicating with a Minor for Immoral Purposes), 24 months of supervision, and 150 hours of community service. He was also ordered to complete a 24-month sex offender program.
Soon after the information about Harris’s criminal history resurfaced, Discovery Channel cut ties with the fisherman.
“We’ve been made aware of this issue. Josh will not appear in future episodes of this series,” a representative for the network told RadarOnline.com in September 2022.
Harris first appeared on Deadliest Catch in 2007. He is the son of Captain Phil Harris and originally served as a deckhand on the F/V Cornelia Marie. After his father’s death in 2010, he teamed up with Casey McManus to purchase his father’s boat and continue his fishing legacy.
‘Deadliest Catch: Bloodline’ is no longer available to stream on discovery+
Not only will Harris not appear in future episodes of Deadliest Catch, but his spinoff series has also been scrubbed from the Discovery Channel website and streaming service discovery+.
Deadliest Catch: Bloodline debuted in April 2020. It followed Harris and McManus to Hawaii, where they hunted for fish in the tropical waters of the Kona Coast. Along the way, they attempted to decipher the clues Harris’s father left on old fishing charts they’d discovered in the F/V Cornelia Marie’s captain’s quarters.
The third season of Deadliest Catch: Bloodline aired in 2022. But the show is no longer available to stream on discovery+. And there’s no mention of it on the network’s website. However, it appears to still be available to stream on-demand on FuboTV and DirecTV.
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The F/V Cornelia Marie won’t be seen in ‘Deadliest Catch’ Season 19
Previous seasons of Deadliest Catch featured Harris and his business partner McManus on the Cornelia Marie. But according to a press release from Discovery Channel, neither McManus nor the Cornelia Marie will appear in season 19.
In early October 2022, McManus took to Instagram to share that he had a new job running tug boats.
“A friend of mine has a great company that is very versatile, and needs guys that can get things done, safely and efficiently. I’m up here for a month in Kodiak to see if I’m the right guy for the job,” he shared. “Some of the boats are small assist tugs and others are huge ice class tow vessels, and everything in between, including barges. It’s a new world, but a boat is a boat, and I know boats. Yes, these are technically ships, but it’s still just a boat.”
Recent social media updates seem to suggest the job worked out for McManus. In early February, an Instagram follower asked him if he was “still doing the Cornelia Marie.” His reply indicated he’d moved on for the time being. It appeared to reference the closure of Alaskan red king crab season by Alaskan authorities as a factor in that choice (via National Fisherman).
“I haven’t thrown in the towel, but crab seasons are paused right now,” he replied.
Deadliest Catch Season 19 premieres Tuesday, April 18 at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery Channel. Episodes also stream the same day on discovery+.
How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.
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