As a conclusion to the celebrity versus hospital system lawsuit, an Oklahoma court yesterday awarded famous country singer Garth Brooks $1 million, double the amount of his original donation to Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in 2005, the Chicago Tribune reported. The court found that the Integris, the largest health system in the state, defrauded Brooks by failing to honor a request to name a building after his late mother, awarding the singer $500,000 in actual damages, plus another $500,000 in punitive damages. Hospital President James Moore said no promises were ever made to Brooks but that discussions were held about the possibilities.
"We are very disappointed the jury awarded dollars above the original donation," Hardy Watkins, Integris Health vice president of marketing and communications, said in the article, calling the verdict "surprising and disturbing." Article