Not blaming dad.
Pawn Stars star Corey Harrison is defending his father, Rick Harrison, after the younger television star was forced to turn to GoFundMe for help covering his medical bills following a near-fatal accident.
Back in January, Corey suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle accident in Mexico, breaking 11 ribs while also walking away with a concussion and facial injuries.
According to TMZ, he spent two weeks in the hospital before checking himself out due to the cost of his medical bills. But he then began suffering from complications that led his oxygen levels to drop to dangerously low levels, leaving Corey concerned that he was going to pass away because he couldn’t afford treatment. As his friend recalls:
“In a heartbreaking moment that shook all of us to our core, Corey looked at us and said, “I’m just going to die out here. I don’t have the money to keep paying these people.””
He eventually found a facility that was affordable enough to undergo three surgeries, while spending an additional 18 days in the hospital.
Meanwhile, the younger Harrison was forced to miss his father’s wedding after the accident, and is now facing over $100,000 in medical bills and expenses.
Harrison says he still receives occasional residual checks from Pawn Stars (I would hope so, because I’m pretty sure that show’s on The History Channel 24 hours a day), but that he’s now completely removed from the show. So he’s turned to fans for help.
A GoFundMe set up for Harrison by one of his friends says that the television star has emptied his bank account:
“Friends, including myself, maxed out credit cards just to keep his treatment going. Being on television and part of Pawn Stars fame doesn’t come with a built-in safety net for emergencies like this — medical crises don’t care about celebrity status.”
It also says that Harrison is three months behind on rent, facing ongoing medical bills, and unable to return to the United States for treatment due to his injuries.
Harrison says that he doesn’t like turning to GoFundMe and asking fans for help, but he feels like he’s out of options:
“What am I going to do, fly out to Vegas and sell stuff? I can’t move from my recliner.”
And I know what you’re probably thinking: His dad’s rich, why doesn’t he help him?
Well yesterday, Corey told TMZ that he was already in debt to his dad. And Rick Harrison, the owner of the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, issued a statement that made it sound like his relationship with his son may not be in a great place:
“Corey is a grown man and he will deal with his life as he sees fit.”
Obviously people online were criticizing Rick for not helping his son with his medical bills. But today, the younger Harrison spoke to TMZ once again and defended his dad.
According to Corey, Rick has already helped pay at least half of his medical bills so far, money that Corey intends to pay back. But he says his dad “isn’t made of money,” citing decreased revenues from their hit television show as more and more people turn to streaming, as well as his five other children.
Plus, Corey says his dad has never been one to give handouts to his children:
“I love my dad to death, but he doesn’t give me s—. My dad’s made me work for everything my whole life.”
He also points out that his dad told him to stop riding motorcycles a long time ago…which no doubt makes it even more embarrassing to ask his dad for help with medical bills from his accident.
So far, the GoFundMe for Big Hoss has raised over $7,000 of its $18,000 goal.
