Dave Blankenship left the reality series The Curse of Oak Island in 2020. He attributed the decision to producers overlooking the contributions of his late father Dan Blankenship.
Dave Blankenship joined his father on Oak Island in the 1970s and remained a resident for decades. Dan Blankenship spent more than 50 years excavating the site before his death in 2019.
Blankenship's final on-screen appearance came in a February 2021 episode of the companion series The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down. He stated that the production had set aside 50 years of his father's work in favor of focusing on brothers Rick and Marty Lagina.
Blankenship and his wife Garnette continue to live on the island. He reported having no contact with Rick Lagina for years and said he would not return to the show.
"I left the show and will not go back, it is the Rick and Marty show," Blankenship said. He added that he has never watched the series.
