Luke Combs âcompletely shockedâ Florida woman sued for selling tumblers with his image

Country music singer Luke Combs said he was left feeling “completely shocked” and “sick” when he learned a Florida woman was sued for selling tumblers bearing his face.

Nicol Harness reached out to Shannon Behnken, an investigative journalist with WFLA, after she was ordered to pay Luke Combs $250,000 by an Illinois judge for selling 18 tumblers with images of the singer, the outlet reported Dec. 12.

Harness, a Luke Combs fan who suffers from congestive heart failure and relies on homemade artwork sales for her primary income, made only $380 on the sales before her Amazon storefront was frozen, WFLA reported.

“It’s very stressful. I don’t have money to pay my bills,” she told the outlet. “I just want this resolved. I didn’t mean any harm to Luke Combs. I quit selling the tumbler. I pulled it down. I just don’t understand.”

Now, in a video shared on his social media, Luke Combs, who was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, said he didn’t know anything about the lawsuit.

When Combs first heard Harness’ story, he said he felt “sick to (his) stomach.”

Combs said he immediately reached out to his team on Dec. 13 when he woke up and saw the WFLA story.

“I was completely and utterly unaware of this,” Combs said.

Combs said he has a company that “goes after” large corporations, primarily operating internationally, that make counterfeit T-shirts and other merchandise with his likeness and images illegally.

He said the companies make “millions and millions of dollars” on the illegal sales, and unfortunately Harness “somehow (got) wrapped into that.”

Combs said he was able to speak to Harness on Dec. 13 and apologize, pledging to double the $5,500 currently frozen in her Amazon account, giving her $11,000.

“She was never supposed to be involved in anything like this,” Combs said. “No fan should have to be involved in anything like this.”

Combs also said because Harness was making tumblers, he will create his own, officially licensed, tumbler to sell on her behalf. Proceeds from the sales would go toward Harness’ medical bills.

“All of that money is going to go to Nicol and her family,” Combs said, “And again, this is unbelievable. I was completely shocked when I saw this this morning, it makes me sick. This is not something that I would ever do, it’s 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, I promise you guys that.”

Combs said he invited Harness and her family to one of his future shows so he could apologize in person.

Harness lives in Pinellas Park, about 20 miles southwest of Tampa.