Corey Harrison’s Medical Bills Were Reportedly Covered By His Father, Rick, Following Motorcycle Crash
“As far as I know, I paid all of Corey’s medical bills long before he put the GoFundMe out,” Rick Harrison said in an interview with TMZ. “He is a grown man in his 40s and is responsible for how he handles his finances.”
For anyone who has seen Pawn Stars, such a sentiment from Rick, the owner of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop featured on the hit History Channel reality series, is in keeping with his common sense fatherly approach to running their business.
However, the aforementioned GoFundMe has continued to grow into a point of contention for the Harrison family.
Corey Harrison, 42, often referred to as “Big Hoss,” was injured in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Tulum, Mexico, in January.
In a January 26 Instagram post, which comments have since been disabled for, Corey detailed that he had spent three nights in the hospital, adding that they treated him for “11 breaks in [his] rib cage.”
This crash occurred just before Rick held a wedding celebration with his new bride, Agripina “Angie” Polushkin, compelling Corey to note, “Pops looks like I’m missing your wedding.”
Then, to the shock of many, a GoFundMe was set up for Corey by one of his friends, with the page stating it was set up “with [Corey’s] full knowledge and blessing.”
RELATED: Corey Harrison, Of ‘Pawn Stars,’ Injured In Motorcycle Crash
About The Controversial GoFundMe For Corey Harrison
Speaking with TMZ, Corey said that his dad covered half of his medical bills, but that’s when Rick stated that he had covered the bills prior to the GoFundMe page being setup.
According to the GoFundMe, the fundraiser was established on Corey’s behalf as a means of “raising emergency funds to cover more than $100,000 in medical bills and related expenses after a serious motorcycle accident in Tulum, Mexico, that left him fighting for his life.”
The page goes on to detail the following:
“After 14 grueling days in the hospital, the financial pressure became too much, and Corey had no choice but to check himself out against medical advice. We brought him back to his home in Tulum, hoping some rest would turn things around. It didn’t. Within hours, Corey was in excruciating pain. A house doctor came in to administer IV fluids and morphine treatments … The next day, his oxygen levels plummeted to dangerously low levels. 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.'”
It was also noted that Corey was “incredibly hesitant” to take morphine and other “heavy pain meds,” with the GoFundMe description attributing this reluctance to the death of Corey’s brother, Adam, who overdosed in 2024.
Continuing, the GoFundMe states that while Corey has been able to return to his home in Tulum, “the challenges aren’t over.”
These challenges include: Corey is reportedly “three months behind on rent, still facing ongoing follow-up care, medication expenses, and he’s not yet strong enough to travel back to the United States for continued treatment and support from his family.”
Reiterating what the fundraiser is for, the GoFundMe states, “Every dollar raised will go directly to Corey to cover his outstanding medical bills, back rent, ongoing medications and therapies, and the costs of future travel home for full recovery.”
There is no mention of Rick covering any of his son’s medical bills on the GoFundMe, and there is also no mention of family being involved at all, with the fundraiser description noting instead that friends have taken out loans and maxed out credit cards to assist Corey.
Speaking with TMZ on March 6, Corey said his father “isn’t made of money,” noting that his dad may have covered closer to half of the medical bills.
Corey added, “I love my dad to death, but he doesn’t give me s***. My dad’s made me work for everything my whole life.”
As of the morning of March 9, the GoFundMe for Corey has brought in over $13,100.
Attached to the GoFundMe description is a link to this video detailing Corey Harrison’s motorcycle crash, which can be viewed, here:
Online Reactions
Reactions to the GoFundMe have been largely negative online, but that doesn’t mean that they haven’t also been without humor.
Many have pointed to Corey being on a highly successful reality television show, adding that if he doesn’t have the money to cover these costs, that it’s likely because the money has already been spent.
One person wrote on his Instagram, responding to his most recent post with commenting enabled, “Hit the pawn shop instead of asking for handouts.”
Another person humorously phrased their comment in a Pawn Stars style, writing, “Best I can do is 6 dollars buddy.”
Comments on the YouTube video describing Corey’s motorcycle crash have also been fairly negative, with some questioning the manner in which the Mexican healthcare system has been represented by Corey’s GoFundMe.