What Happened To Junior Edwards Of Swamp People?

People who love History Channel’s reality television show Swamp People will be familiar with one of its star’s Junior Edwards who has made regular appearances with his son Willie from the show’s inception. The fisherman-turned-alligator-hunter distinguished himself on set with his unique abilities in trapping huge reptiles. He failed to show up for the seventh season of the TV show which raised many eyebrows, however, Edwards has done his best in quelling the rumors about him having issues with the show’s management regarding payments. Read on to get the full details.

Here is what we know about his background

Junior Edwards’s exact date of birth is not known but he was born in Louisiana, in the United States, around the 1960s. The American citizen is of white ethnicity. Edwards has not revealed anything about his childhood, thus, his parents and siblings if any are not known. Likewise, there isn’t anything to show for his academic history but everything about his reality TV career is out in the open.

He has not always been an alligator hunter, the American started off as a professional fisherman and eventually developed an interest in hunting down big reptiles from his fishing ventures. Eventually, the fisherman diverted his passion for fishing to alligator hunting which turned out to be the next big thing for Edwards; he has since pursued it like an adventure and never looked back.

Edwards’s expertise in hunting down those huge reptiles endeared him to millions and eventually, his adventures in the wild developed into Swamp People – the reality TV series on History Channel. His interest does not end with alligators; the celebrity hunter also targets raccoons and crawfish. Alligator hunting is associated with a plethora of risks and it is the unique way in which the American native navigates his way around these risks that makes the show mind-blowing.

He makes a fantastic team with his son Willie who is towing the same career path. The hunting duo spends quality time in the Southern part of Louisiana on the waterways and bayous. Their targets are fish and other animals like alligators, deer, frogs, crawfish, and crabs. The celebrity hunter earns solely on commercial hunting and fishing and has created a niche for himself in the field.

Edwards’ journey in Swamp People

Junior Edwards is one guy with unique capabilities, giving him the needed edge to excel in the entertainment world. He became a household name on the set of the television series, Swamp People. Part of the reality TV star’s skillset includes steady hands that make it possible for him to hunt down those fierce giant alligators; more important is the fact that he does this with ease. He is distinguished with that rare courage, resilience, as well as determination to participate in very bizarre challenges, and also overcome them at the end of the day

Edwards made his debut in Swamp People in 2010 when he began to feature on the show, alongside his only surviving son Willie Edwards. Swamp People on its own is a show set in the Southern part of Louisiana and centered on Alligator hunting; The show was launched on August 22, 2010.

On set, Edwards is perceived as a man who is fond of screaming and yelling which would undoubtedly leave one wondering about the kind of relationship he has with his family, especially Willie, his son, and co-star. However, it is a known fact that they enjoy a great father/son bond.

Why Did Junior Edwards Leave Swamp People?

Since its inception in 2010, Junior Edwards has been featured in Swamp People and people have come to love his performance over the years. The man equally garnered some diehard fans who were shocked at his absence in the seventh season of the show. The reality TV star’s sudden departure raised a plethora of questions that are still looking for answers.

According to speculations, the organizers of the show fired Edwards because of some disagreement over his remuneration. The rumors went further to state that the reality television star and his son demanded an increment in their salaries which led to the problem.

On his own part, Edwards didn’t let the grass grow under his feet in dispelling the rumors. They made multiple appearances on several television shows to quash his fan’s discontentment. Though he failed to mention the source, the American laid the blame for starting the rumors at the doorstep of a particular family featured in the swamps.

Junior Edwards and his son Willie share a net worth of $500,000

To big reptile hunters like Junior Edwards, earning big is synonymous with taking big risks and in his case, those unthinkable risks have not gone without recompense. According to trusted sources like Celebrity net worth, Edwards and his son Willie have recorded a total net worth of $500,000 from their reality television gigs.

The exact figure each person gets from that fortune is not known yet but going by the popularity of the show they appeared on, many think they are not getting enough payments. This has also been attributed to the reason behind his absence from the show.

A sneak peek into the alligator hunter’s personal life

The Edwards family image source

Celebs all over the world have been known to have a series of short-spanned relationships but not Edwards. Though he is not one to gush about his love life in the public arena, the records show that the Louisiana native has been in a single relationship for many years.

Edwards is quite taciturn with details concerning his personal life, but his wife’s name has been revealed as Theresa Edwards and they are both featured in Bravura. They share two grown-up sons Willy and Randy Edwards. Willy towed the same career path as his dad, appearing in reality TV shows like Swamp People. From what is obvious, Junior is mentoring Willie to be his successor when he finally takes a bow.

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Junior Edwards’s first son Randy died at the age of 35

Their other son Randy happens to be their eldest, but unfortunately, he met his untimely death some years back in 2018. The fatal accident that claimed his life occurred in the early hours of a Saturday morning when Randy was driving in Iberville Parish. In a bid to veer off the road, he accidentally hit a utility pole and died in the process.

Randy’s death at the age of 35 marked one of the darkest moments of the Edwards family, however, they were able to bounce back on their feet and put their lives back together. Willie continues to hunt with his dad as they keep the family tradition alive. Currently, they all live as a family in the Southern part of Louisiana.