Rich Piana, the late American bodybuilder, businessman, and YouTuber, has recently become the subject of renewed curiosity, with rumors spreading that he had a son.
The late Rich Piana, despite being a renowned bodybuilder, lived a private life and rarely shared details about his personal life, including whether he had any children.
However, a recent TikTok video claiming that Rich Piana’s son is continuing his legacy in bodybuilding has gone viral, leaving many wondering whether the boy shown is actually his son or if the claim is just a hoax.
@mltv_edits Dad & Son Follow for more✨ #fyp #gymtok #gymmotivation #mrolympia #gym #workout #bodybuilding #real #samsulekeffect #samsulek #gymrat #trending #viral #foryou #richpiana ♬ original sound – trenhard
The now-viral video claims that the 23-year-old American YouTuber, fitness influencer, and professional bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro League, Sam Sulek, is the son of the late Rich Piana and is following in his father’s footsteps.
While some are shocked by the revelation, many believe the claims to be false, as Sam Sulek comes from a different family and has no known relationship with the late Rich Piana beyond sharing a similar passion for bodybuilding.
One wrote, “If he were rich Piana’s son his name would be Sam Piana, not Sam Sulek.” Another added, “He doesn’t have any kids, tho.“
Likewise, some report also claims that Rich Piana had a son named Mac Trucc.
A boy named Broly also shared a picture of himself as a kid with the late Rich Piana on Instagram, captioning it, “Rich Piana’s son is back,” further fueling the rumors about his son.
However, despite several claims and rumors, no public information or official news confirms whether Rich Piana had kids or not.
The Late Rich Piana Was Married Twice, And Both Marriages Ended in Divorce
While it is unclear if the late Rich Piana had children, his romantic life often made headlines.
Piana was married twice. His marriage to his first wife, whose name is not publicly available, ended in divorce after an affair.
In an interview with RXMuscle, the late Piana revealed that he was cheating on his first wife with a girl named Amy, which resulted in their separation.
Furthermore, after his divorce, Rich Piana had a longstanding on-again, off-again relationship with American fitness model Chanel Jansen for a while.
In 2015, Piana married Icelandic bodybuilder Sara Heimisdottir. Their marriage lasted less than a year, and the couple separated in 2016.
Similarly, Piana later released a video accusing his former wife, Sara, of marrying him to obtain her U.S. Green Card and stealing money from him.
Their marriage was annulled because it had taken place under false pretenses.
The late Rich Piana further restarted his relationship with Janses following his separation from his second wife, Sara. Rich and Jansen were together until his untimely demise on August 25, 2017.
Jansen was giving Rich Piana a haircut at his home in Clearwater, Florida, on August 7, 2017, when he suddenly collapsed. She immediately called 911 and performed CPR under the guidance of the dispatcher until paramedics arrived about 10 minutes later.
When emergency responders arrived, they found that Piana’s heart wasn’t functioning properly. Although they were eventually able to restart his heart, the delay had caused severe brain damage due to a lack of oxygen.
Doctors placed Piana in a medically induced coma for two weeks in an effort to reduce brain swelling. Sadly, he passed away on August 25 at the age of 46.
The autopsy revealed that Piana had severe heart disease, and both his heart and liver were more than twice the typical size for an adult male.
According to Jansen, Piana was aware that his organs were enlarged, something he knew was a side effect of the steroids and hormones he had used, but he didn’t realize it could lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
She also later disclosed that Piana had struggled with opiate addiction at one point in his life.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Rich Piana was born Richard Eugene Piana on September 26, 1970, in Glendale, California, United States.
- He was of Armenian descent through his mother and Italian descent through his father.
