TRAGIC LOSS
Netflix star Rob ‘The Rabbit’ Pitts dies at 45 following health battle after telling fans goodbye in heartbreaking clip
Tributes have flooded in for the car restoration enthusiast
NETFLIX star Rob "The Rabbit" Pitts has died at the age of 45, his videographer has confirmed.
The Tex Mex Motors star died on Sunday after battling stomach cancer.
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The Netflix show that debuted in June last year sees motoring experts transport cars from Mexico to Texas to restore them.
In a heartbreaking clip posted to YouTube, Pitts said goodbye to fans and detailed his health struggles.
It was in the comments to the black and white video entitled "This is Goodbye," that Pitts' videographer Jeff told fans that the news was true.
"Hey everyone, this is Jeff (Rob's Videographer). I am with him now in Hospice," he wrote.
"He just passed at 21:45 on 08/25/2024.
"He will be missed and we will never forget him!"
In the three-minute YouTube video, Pitts told fans about his diagnosis while begging them not to feel sorry for him.
Set to the song Too Late by Jacob Lincoln, Pitts' last words come up in black and white as he admits, "I know some of you are wondering about what I've been up to."
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He explained how last year he "started feeling 'off'" and had been losing weight as he got ready to shoot the second season of TexMex Motors.
However, when filming began he explained that he started to lose his appetite and increasingly suffered "acid reflux-like symptoms."
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After numerous trips to urgent care his castmate Jaime who he called the "set mom" took him to the ER and in March he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
"It's been rough," he admitted as he talked about receiving at-home treatment.
"More bad days than good but hanging in there," he wrote as a black and white picture showed a frail Pitts in a hospital bed accompanied by a friend.
"I have a lot to live for and life has been going my way. Don't be sad for me.
Symptoms of stomach (Gastric) cancer
Pitts' final piece of advice to fans was to keep an eye on their health and to get to the bottom of any issues they have if they feel something is wrong.
- Trouble swallowing
- Belly pain
- Feeling bloated after eating
- Feeling full after eating small amounts of food
- Not feeling hungry when you would expect to be hungry
- Heartburn
- Indigestion
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Losing weight without trying
- Feeling very tired
- Stools that look black
Source: Mayo Clinic
"I accomplished my dream of buying my own store, finishing season 2 of Netflix, and marrying the love of my life."
"Luckily she doesn't mind doing long-term things with a short-term guy," he tragically added.
The CEO of Pitts Truck Service, a family business that started in 1968 gave his last piece of advice in the video.
He urged viewers to ensure that if they feel like something is wrong they go and get it checked out and get to the bottom of it if it does not go away.
TRIBUTES
Fans immediately flooded the comments with tributes praising the car "legend."
"Rob Pitts played a massive role in the man I am today," one wrote.
"He inspired me to buy and sell cars. When I was a kid he was my #1 role model, I wanted to be just like him one day, and I still do.
"He inspired me to start a business, he inspired me to be the good, honest businessman that I aim to be. He made such a massive impact in my life, as well as many others.
Don't be sad for me. I accomplished my dream of buying my own store, finishing season 2 of Netflix, and marrying the love of my life.
Rob Pitts
"Rest in peace Rabbit, you will never be forgotten."
"This guy was a legend in the automotive world. His stories were legendary and genuine," another said.
" My favorite story has to be about the one when he sold 8 cars in one day - 'Mr. 8 Cars In One Day!'"
Meanwhile, others were brutally honest in their devastation at the news.
"I am a 77-year-old man, enjoyed your stories for years. Sitting at the kitchen table having coffee, crying," one wrote.
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"Me and my wife both we crying our eyes out on the phone talking about this," another said.
"It’s wild the profound impact a complete stranger can have on people’s lives."
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