You don’t have to be a bibliophile to know that rare-book experts are, well, rare. It’s no surprise then that Rebecca Romney is one of the most intriguing experts on History Channel’s Pawn Stars.
The rare book specialist brought a touch of wit, humor, and unparalleled expertise to the what’s-my-stuff worth show, helping the Gold & Silver Pawn shop make the right decisions when a client walked in with an old, dusty book they were hoping to sell for a fortune.
Despite being a fan fave, Rebecca has been missing in action for years, and this has got people wondering what happened to her. Was she fired from the show? Just what is Rebecca from Pawn Stars doing now?
Why Was Rebecca Fired From Pawn Stars?
Rebecca Angeline Engeat was one of the longest-running guest experts on Pawn Stars and, impressively, the only woman specialist featured on the show since 2011.
But the unlikely reality T.V. star stopped appearing at the pawnshop in 2014 after the ninth episode, leaving her fans with many unanswered questions about her sudden disappearance. To add fire to the fuel, the Pawn Stars crew, including Rick, Corey Harrison and his gang, never mentioned Rebecca’s absence despite her being a regular expert on the hit reality television show.
Due to the lack of clarity, all kinds of rumors surfaced about Rebecca, with some claiming that the popular old book expert was fired while others said she couldn’t get along with the cast members.
But we can now confirm that Rebecca was never fired from Pawn Stars.
The likely reason for going AWOL is that she moved from her job at Bauman Rare Books in Las Vegas to the company’s branch in Philadelphia.
This makes sense! It was easy for her to appear on the show regularly because she already lived in Las Vegas at the time, where the Pawn Stars shop is located. But, when she moved across the country, she obviously could only be on the show occasionally due to the long distance.
Going by her LinkedIn profile, Rebecca is still associated with Pawn Stars, noting that she has been a rare book specialist on the show since 2011.
So, no, Rebecca was not fired from Pawn Stars. Even though she doesn’t appear on the show as regularly anymore, the show still considers her as one of their experts.
Rebecca Went On To Have A Flourishing Career
While working at Bauman Rare Books in Las Vegas, Rebecca progressively climbed the ladder, eventually becoming the gallery manager.
She was later transferred to Philadelphia and promoted to senior director for Bauman Rare Books. Her role came with new responsibilities, including marketing, research, and human resources management. Rebecca stayed until 2016, after which she left for Brooklyn to join the renowned rare book company Honey & Wax.
At Honey & Wax Booksellers, she is credited with co-founding the Honey & Wax Prize, a yearly award given to a woman aged 30 years or younger living in the United States who has built an outstanding book collection.
Rebecca Is Minding Her Own Business
After three years at Honey & Wax, Rebecca finally started her own rare book business, Type Punch Matrix. The Washington, DC, Silver Springs-based bookstore is owned by Rebecca Romney and her business partner, Brian Cassidy.
Well before opening her storefront book shop, the rare book expert had dabbled in business for a bit, this time launching a podcast in 2016 with her husband, J.P. Romney.
The couple shared their love for all things books, history, culture and literature on the podcast but folded it after just one year. That same year, Rebecca published her first book titled Printer’s Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History, which was critically acclaimed by the likes of Forbes, The Atlantic, and the New York Times Book Review, among others.
Is Rebecca Divorced From Husband J.P. Romney?
A major rumor that’s been making the rounds is that Rebecca and her husband, J.P Romney divorced. So did Rebecca really close the books on her marriage?
From what we can tell, the two married well before Rebecca became a guest on Pawn Stars. The chatty book expert is fiercely private about her personal life and hasn’t revealed details about her relationship with her husband on social media. Her Instagram mostly features book-related posts and not much about her family.
To be fair, Rebecca did not have her wedding ring on in a post she published on Instagram in 2022. This would definitely raise eyebrows, but it doesn’t automatically mean that Rebecca and J.P. Romney are divorced now.
On the contrary, J.P., a published author in his own right, still mentions Rebecca and their two children in his bio, which definitely adds to the confusion.
Regarding her personal life, fans are always curious whether Rebecca is related to U.S. Senator Mitt Romney. Well, she is related to him through her husband. However, Rebecca claims she has never met Mitt Romney as J.P. is only remotely related to the senator and is not a close relative.
What Is Rebecca From Pawn Stars Doing Now?
As far as we can tell, Rebecca is still pursuing her profession as a rare books expert. She is still the co-owner of Type Punch Matrix, her rare book bookstore, which she founded with fellow entrepreneur and book lover Brian Cassidy.
Rebecca also continues writing for publications such as Mental Floss and Literary Hub, among others. She is also a mother of two children whom we are sure keep her on her toes too.
If you are a book lover and Pawn Stars fan, you probably hope Rebecca will return to the show soon. Well, we agree! She’s extremely smart, witty, and funny; her fans miss her. But, there are no signs of her returning, seeing as she is busy running her business in Washington, DC.
That said, you can still keep up with your favorite Pawn Stars expert on her Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram handles.
