Gold Rush's Fred Lewis Is Surprised By The Amount Of Haters He Attracts

After sharing his surprise at the extent of the criticism toward his "Gold Rush" role, Fred Lewis told Idaho Press that one reason he's acutely aware of fans' negativity is that he opens himself up to the public specifically for the sake of developing camaraderie with fellow military veterans.

"It's hard for me because I can't weed out the stuff before it happens because I'm trying to make myself available to veterans," Lewis said. "I want vets anywhere to contact me, to email me. And that opens the floodgates for all the haters."

While Lewis may not enjoy the fact that he faces such widespread hate, he told Idaho Press that he intends on taking it in stride. "It's a weird environment to be in and nothing I'm used to, but I welcome it. Come at me, and I'll talk to you. I don't care," he continued.

So, while Lewis may well be surprised by the extensive backlash against his "Gold Rush" persona he faces through his public availability, it doesn't seem to weight too heavily on him based on his willingness to confront his critics head-on.