'Pawn Stars' Rick Harrison: I Paid Son Corey's Bills Before GoFundMe, He's a 'Grown Man in His 40s'

After a GoFundMe was opened to cover Corey Harrison from Pawn Stars' medical bills, his father, Rick Harrison, has pushed back on some of his son's claims. Rick said that he believes he paid all of Corey's medical bills following a motorcycle crash, and he gave a blunt quote about the situation. "He is a grown man in his 40s and is responsible for how he handles his finances."

Rick Harrison on Corey's GoFundMe: 'I Paid All Bills,' 'He's a Grown Man in His 40s'

After Corey Harrison got into a motorcycle accident and suffered severe injuries in Tulum, Mexico, a GoFundMe was set up by one of his friends in his name. It explained the purpose of the fundraiser. "With (Corey's) full knowledge and blessing, we're 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."

Soon after news of the GoFundMe spread online, Rick Harrison pushed back on the idea that his son had unpaid medical bills. While talking to TMZ on March 6, he expressed his belief that he'd covered those expenses and spoke frankly about his son's responsibilities. "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."

Earlier on that same day, Corey also spoke to TMZ about the focus of the GoFundMe. During that discussion, he stated that his father paid at least half of his six-figure hospital bills. However, he also said his father doesn't give him money, insisting that he would pay the sum back. "I love my dad to death, but he doesn't give me s**t. My dad's made me work for everything my whole life."

When Rick spoke to TMZ, he downplayed the idea that Corey needs to quickly start paying him back. However, he also expressed openness to having the money returned to him. "It's always nice to be paid back, but there is no repayment schedule in place."

Ultimately, Corey told TMZ that he believes that he will have to pay his dad back, while making it clear that he loves his father and that is just the nature of their relationship. "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."

The father and son appear to mostly have similar takes on the situation. They agree that Rick paid some or all of what Corey owed the hospital, and they both expressed interest in repayment. The main difference is that Rick pushed back on the idea that Corey has hospital bills that need to be paid soon, requiring a GoFundMe campaign. Still, Corey told TMZ that it is extremely unlikely that his father would wipe out the debt without repayment.

"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."

Another important element of the story to note is that the GoFundMe page related to Corey's financial situation dispelled the idea that he would have lots of money to pay his dad back. "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."