In January of this year, Corey Harrison, the son of Rick Harrison, and co-star of the History Channel's 'Pawn Stars' TV show, was in a motorcycle accident while traveling in Mexico. The younger Harrison's penchant for motorcycles of all sorts was well-established by the show in recent years, and the photos obtained by TMZ showed him pretty banged up.
At the time, Corey's father Rick, was set to be married in Cancun, and Corey lives in Tulum at present. According to Corey's social media post, he stated, "Pretty messed up but I’m good crash bars are awesome 3 nights in the hospital 11 breaks in my rib cage." The ribs alone would mess anyone up pretty badly, but the images also show injuries to Corey's hands and face, too.
Where this all goes sideways is that Corey set up a GoFundMe to help cover his hospital bills, which allegedly were already paid for by Rick and Corey, the latter of whom said he had drained his own personal savings. Rick, however, now contradicts his son's recollection and says he paid for the whole thing. Who could've guessed reality TV stars would be messy?
According to TMZ, "[Corey] spent two weeks in the hospital before prematurely checking himself out due to mounting bills ... a decision that led to even more trouble. While resting at his Tulum home, Corey says he immediately began experiencing excruciating pain ... and a house doctor administered IV fluids and morphine treatments. Unfortunately, the treatments didn't do much. Corey tells us his oxygen levels soon plummeted ... and he feared he might die because he couldn't afford to return to the hospital. Friends eventually took him to a different, more affordable facility ... where Corey says he underwent three surgeries and spent an additional 18 days hospitalized."
Those extended hospital stays resulted in Corey spending around $120,000 on medical bills and leaving him with only $400 in his bank account. But some of that money, according to Corey, came from his dad and friends, whom he now owes. Enter the GoFundMe.
Now, before we get into Rick's side of the story, it's worth mentioning that a host of celebrity use of GoFundMe has received backlash in recent months. From Eric Dane to James Van Der Beek, these folks who are suffering real life-shaking events (in these two cases horrible deaths), have been questioned whether they deserve to be on the charity site at all. They're supposedly worth millions and asking fans for donations seems at odds with their projected lifestyles.
I'm not saying either should or shouldn't. Healthcare here in America is nigh unaffordable for everyone. But it's a part of the story here. And Corey's use of GoFundMe at this time is one that folks are questioning, too. Which gets us back to Corey's dad, Rick, and his side of what occurred after the motorcycle accident.
Speaking to TMZ once again, Rick told the outlet, "As far as I know, I paid all of Corey's medical bills long before he put the GoFundMe out. He is a grown man in his 40's and is responsible for how he handles his finances." He added, "It's always nice to be paid back, but there is no repayment schedule in place." Corey, on the other hand, responded by saying, "If he decided I don't have to pay him back the money, then happy birthday to me. But based on our personal and business relationship, I don't see how that's possible. I love my father very much, he's always been there for me, and I don't have a problem with him at all."
So where does this all square up? Unclear, as it's a he-said, he-said story, and the two known for their TV-show antics have always traded in this type of relationship on screen. How that plays out in reality is anyone's guess, but at present, Corey said one thing, and Rick said another.
More than that, remember to wear your damn gear, folks. Corey's hand injuries look like he wasn't wearing gloves. And while his head doesn't look too bad, maybe he was wearing a helmet, maybe he wasn't. Either way, wear your gear.
