Garth Brooks owes a tip of the hat to his jury.
An Oklahoma hospital has been ordered to return the $500,000 the country-music superstar donated in his late mother’s name after he accused officials of funneling it out to projects other than the women’s health center Brooks earmarked the money for.
And that’s not all.
A jury also awarded Brooks $500,000 in punitive damages after ruling that IntegrisCanadian Valley Regional Hospital was in breach of its contract with the “Friends in Low Places” singer.
“Obviously we are disappointed, particularly with the jury’s decision to award damages above and beyond the $500,000,” said hospital spokesman Hardy Watkins. “We’re just glad to see the case come to a resolution.”
Brooks grew emotional while testifying last week, saying that a women’s health center was the perfect legacy for his mother, Colleen Brooks, who died of cancer in 1999.
“In my recollection, not only did I agree, we agreed,” he said, referring to his deal with the hospital.
Before the verdict was read today, he told reporters, “She deserves nothing but good.”
Brooks cut an initially anonymous check in 2005 and the hospital had argued that there were no restrictions on the donation and only later did Brooks come up with the women’s center idea. But the Grammy winner successfully convinced the jury that he ultimately did make a deal with hospital administrators, and that they dropped the ball.
by Natalie Finn
