TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — This week has been a whirlwind of emotions for Nicol Harness who learned she owed country music star Luke Combs $250,000 in a counterfeit merchandise lawsuit.
Less than 24 hours after she shared her story with Better Call Behnken, Combs called her himself, saying he wanted to make this right.
He also took to social media to let the world know the lawsuit was news to him and he had no idea that Harness had been sued over some merchandise with his name and image. In an Instagram video, Combs said the story was the first thing he saw when he woke up that morning, and the situation made him “absolutely sick to (his) stomach.”
“So, we do have a company that goes after folks, only supposedly large corporations operating internationally that make millions and millions of dollars, making counterfeit T-shirts, things of that nature run an illegal businesses,” Combs explained. “And apparently this woman, Nicol, has somehow gotten wrapped into that.”
Before making that video, Combs called Harness himself.
“He was a very nice guy, very understanding,” Harness said. “I explained to him what happened, he understood. I still can’t believe he called me and he is doing these things for me.”
In the video, Combs said he spoke to Harness this morning and promised to send her $11,000, double the amount the woman said was locked up in her Amazon account. He also said he would put up a tumbler for sale, with all proceeds going to Harness to help with her medical bills.
Harness says she was in the hospital when she received an email about the lawsuit. She suffers from congestive heart failure.
Harness learned Combs sued her in federal court in Illinois, along with others, for selling counterfeit merchandise. The case was already closed by the time she found out about the lawsuit and she was ordered to pay $250,000.
She later discovered that she received notice of the lawsuit in October, but it was sent via email, and got buried in her “junk” folder. Florida law requires defendants to be served in person, but in Illinois, where the lawsuit was filed, email is, in some cases, considered efficient.
“Again, this is unbelievable. I was completely shocked when I saw this this morning,” Combs said in the video. “(It) makes me sick. This is not something that I would ever do. This is not the kind of person I am. I’m not greedy in any way, shape, or form. Money is the last thing on my mind.”
Combs said he intends to fly Nicol and her family to a show so he can “give her a hug and say sorry in person.”
Harness says she realizes now that he was wrong to sell tumblers with Combs’ image and she will be redoing her online store to make sure she is not breaking any copyright laws.
“I’ve definitely learned about the copyright laws and I will be more careful about what I post for sale on my store,” Harness said.
She added that she was already a fan of Combs, but now, after the way he handled this situation, she is an even bigger fan and can’t wait to meet him.
