How Real Was Todd Hoffman And Parker Schnabel's Gold Rush Feud?
Anyone who's watched "Gold Rush" for at least a few episodes can likely tell there's a rivalry between mainstays Todd Hoffman and Parker Schnabel. There are even instances on the show where the two will meet up initially and try to be friendly toward one another, but it only takes a matter of minutes for the blood to turn sour yet again. It's clear there's no love lost between the two miners. Even though they have a lot in common, they can just never work it out, and they've spoken about their feud extensively to the press.
Of course, it's only natural for audiences to wonder how real the feud really is. Reality television is often known for stretching the truth, and "Gold Rush" is no exception to the rule. Scenes have to be refilmed, and the whole thing is edited in a way to offer up proper heroes and villains, but if there's one thing that's real, it's apparently the bad blood between Hoffman and Schnabel.
Todd Hoffman says there's a 'genuine dislike' between the two
If the feud between Todd Hoffman and Parker Schnabel is fake, they're certainly playing it up in front of the press. When Todd Hoffman did an interview with Maxim, he was asked about the seriousness of his rivalry with Schnabel. Hoffman responded, "There is a genuine dislike there. But there is a mutual respect at least on my end. But I don't like seeing people be disrespected that are older than him. If I see it happen, I say something about it."
Schnabel seems well aware that Hoffman just plain doesn't like him. In a separate interview, Schnabel went on the record saying, "Todd really doesn't like me, which I'm not sure if that means I've done something right or done something wrong. He has a very personal dislike for me. I don't know if I should go so far as to say hatred but it borderlines on that" (via Outsider).
The two don't even appear on the same show anymore. Parker Schnabel is still a prominent force on "Gold Rush," but Hoffman has moved onto other ventures. He'll soon return to the Discovery fold with "Hoffman Family Gold" and get another chance to try to strike it rich.