Luke Combs apologizes for suing a disabled fan for $250,000, saying he was “fully and completely unaware” of the lawsuit in his identify, or the judgement that was issued in Illinois courtroom, till he was proven a neighborhood information piece of the crying fan.
A Florida lady with congestive coronary heart failure was making sufficient cash to pay her payments by promoting do-it-yourself drink tumblers and t-shirts by way of Amazon. As an enormous fan of nation singer Luke Combs, Nicol Harness began providing a Combs-themed tumbler after going to his live performance in Tampa over the summer season. However now a federal courtroom in Illinois is suing her on Combs’ behalf for promoting counterfeit merchandise.
With ongoing well being issues, the Amazon retailer was Harness’ solely supply of revenue. She purchased paintings on-line and offered 18 Luke Combs-themed tumblers for $20 every — totaling $380. Unbeknownst to her, a federal courtroom in Illinois sued a number of people for promoting counterfeit Luke Combs merchandise, and now Harness finds herself ordered to pay Combs $250,000.
Harness had no thought anybody had even sued her till she returned house from a hospital keep to find she had no entry to the funds earned by way of her Amazon storefront. She lastly found the discover of the lawsuit, dated again in October — in an electronic mail in her unsolicited mail folder. That discover defined she had 21 days to reply to the allegations, however as she says she was within the hospital on the time, she hardly had the possibility.
“It’s very nerve-racking — I don’t have cash to pay my payments. I simply need this resolved. I didn’t imply any hurt to Luke Combs. I stop promoting the tumbler,” she mentioned.
On Tuesday, Tampa-based information outlet WFLA advised Harness’ story, with client investigator Shannon Behnken reaching out to the lawyer representing Combs within the lawsuit, because it was unknown whether or not Combs was even conscious of the lawsuit. Because it seems, he wasn’t.
Wednesday morning, Luke Combs took to social media after discovering he had gained a $250,000 judgement towards a Florida lady who had made $380 promoting fan merchandise utilizing his likeness. He says he was “fully and completely unaware” of the lawsuit in his identify, or the judgement that the Illinois courtroom had handed down. He was solely made conscious of it when his consideration was directed to a TV information interview with the distraught lady.
“We do have an organization that goes after of us — solely, supposedly, massive companies working internationally that make hundreds of thousands and million of {dollars} — making counterfeit t-shirts, issues of that nature, working unlawful enterprise,” mentioned Combs. “Apparently this lady, Nicol, has someway gotten wrapped into that, and that makes me completely sick to my abdomen.”
Combs says he referred to as Nicol Harness personally with plans to ship her $11,000 to assist meet her fast wants, which is double the $5,500 she reported locked in her Amazon retailer account following the courtroom ruling. The singer additionally mentioned that he plans to promote his personal tumbler by way of his official merch retailer and can direct all proceeds from the merchandise to serving to with Harness’ medical payments.
“I spoke to her this morning. She advised me that (…) she was completely shocked by this. I’m so apologetic, speaking to her. It makes me sick, truthfully, that this could occur, particularly on the holidays,” mentioned Combs in his video posted to Instagram. “She was by no means speculated to be concerned in something like this. No fan ought to ever should be concerned in something like this.”
WFLA studies that though lawsuits within the state of Florida require a defendant to be served in particular person with bodily paperwork, the legislation lately modified in Illinois and permits a defendant to be served by way of electronic mail — seemingly with none affirmation that the defendant acquired that electronic mail.