This division amongst fans regarding Phil Harris primarily stems from some of the anecdotes found in his biography, "Captain Phil Harris: The Legendary Crab Fisherman, Our Hero, Our Dad." The book was written by his sons (and fellow "Deadliest Catch" co-stars) Jake and Josh Harris, and details a few examples of Phil being a less-than-stellar father. "I always loved phil and now I just dont understand why Josh idolizes him," wrote u/General-Salary5482 in a Reddit post criticizing the book and Phil himself. "The book was just not a good cast on Phil whatsoever. It was shocking and gritty and heartbreaking."
The user specifically referenced how Phil allegedly gave a 10-year-old Josh alcohol, cigarettes, and a Playboy magazine, frequently used drugs around both children, and also allowed his second wife to physically abuse his sons. The user went on to blame Phil for Jake Harris' well-documented drug problem, and many other users within the comments agreed that Phil had plenty of issues and doesn't deserve the reverence that his sons and the fans have given him.
Of course there are plenty of other "Deadliest Catch" fans who don't feel this way at all, and continue to mourn Harris' death even after all this time. "Anyone else miss Phil Harris?" asks u/mijohvatech on Reddit. "Of course, every damn day," replied u/nsgiad. "Yes. It made me cry again when they did the season 6 marathon," echoed u/yellowrose1974. While there are still plenty of fans who continually idolize the deceased Captain, others remain very vocal in their criticism of him as a father.
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
