A US country singer has dropped a $250,000 (£200,000) lawsuit against a disabled woman who sold merchandise with his face on them, and will now fundraise for her.
Lawyers for Luke Combs, who recently topped the US country chart, went after companies selling unauthorised merchandise – but Florida woman Nicol Harness got caught up in the crackdown.
She had sold 18 tumblers she had made with his name and face for $20 (£16) each, making $360 (£280) in total.
The singer said he had told his lawyers to remove her from the lawsuit and said he was sending her $11,000 (£8650).
He also said in an Instagram video that he would start selling his own tumblers, with the proceeds going to pay Ms Harness’s medical bills – she has heart disease and recently needed hospital treatment.
He also said he would fly Ms Harness and her family to an upcoming concert so he could meet her.
Combs said his lawyers were only supposed to go after big companies, not fans who have a little business on the side. Most of the 45 other sellers sued appear to be large operations in Asia, court filings show.
Under US copyright law, sellers of unauthorised goods can be hit with stiff penalties and have their assets seized. They can also face criminal charges.
“This is not something that I would ever do. This is 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.
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Ms Harness’s plight came to light on Tuesday after a story by Tampa TV station WFLA went viral.
She told the station the lawsuit was sent by email and went to her junk mail folder so she never saw it.
When Ms Harness didn’t respond as required within 30 days, the judge found her in default and ordered her to pay $250,000.
She discovered she had been sued when Amazon, obeying the judge’s order, froze the $5,500 she had in her account for possible seizure, meaning she couldn’t pay her bills.
A big fan of the singer, Ms Harness started selling the Combs tumblers after going to one of his concerts.
“It’s very stressful,” Ms Harness told the station. “I didn’t mean any harm to Luke Combs. I quit selling the tumbler. I pulled it down. I just don’t understand… This is not something I meant to go wrong like this. I just want to get back to my day-to-day life.”
Combs said in his Instagram video that he first learnt of what had happened when he got up at 5am on Wednesday to go to the toilet and saw the story.
He got Ms Harness’s number through his manager and called her.
“I was so apologetic in talking with her. It just makes me sick, honestly, that this would happen, especially at the holidays. I can’t imagine being in her shoes,” Combs said.
Ms Harness said he was “a very nice guy, very understanding” when they spoke.
She told WFLA on Wednesday: “I still can’t believe he called me and he is doing these things for me.”
British actor Terence Stamp – who famously played General Zod in Superman and Superman II – has died at the age of 87.
The Oscar-nominated actor, who was born in London’s East End, also starred in hits such as Theorem, A Season in Hell, and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
He formed one of Britain’s most glamorous couples with Julie Christie, with whom he starred in “Far From the Madding Crowd” in 1967.
In a statement, his family said: “He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Fashion brand Topshop celebrated its relaunch with its first catwalk in seven years.
The company’s website promised everyone was invited as models strutted down a runway on Trafalgar Square in front of noughties fashion icons Cara Delevingne and Adwoa Aboah and the London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
The label has been operating on the online fashion platform ASOS after ceasing to operate as a standalone business in 2020.
Image: Topshop held a catwalk in Trafalgar Square. Pic: PA
Image: A model on the catwalk
Its previous owner, Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia group, collapsed into administration and all of Topshop’s physical stores – including the Oxford Circus flagship in London’s West End – closed soon after.
Delevingne told Sky News she was “totally blown away” by the relaunch event.
“It was like nostalgia mixed with something eclectic but also something brand new,” she said.
“For me, it really brings back a time of exploration of my own fashion sense because I think for me at Topshop I got to discover so much.”
The model, who is working on a capsule collection for next year, has already unveiled a choice edit in this year’s show and said her relationship with Topshop precedes her fame.
She said: “I would go in and my friends would be like ‘you would look good in that’ and I would go ‘no, that’s not really me’, and then you’d try it on and be like ‘oh maybe I can explore more’.
“They really have everything for everyone, and I feel like they brought that back.”
The runway showcased highlights from its Autumn-Winter 2025 collection, as well as an early preview of pieces set to drop later this season, including showstopper gowns, the classic white tee, and an aloe vera-coloured faux fur coat that surely should not have been on display – to prevent just about everyone rushing to buy it.
Image: Topshop’s relaunch was staged at Trafalgar Square
Image: Models in front of the National Gallery in London’s Trafalgar Square. Pic: PA
Reclaiming the high street
But sharp tailoring and statement outerwear suggest the brand is ready to reclaim the high street.
Must-have denim pieces completed the womenswear line-up while the Topman collection screamed modern utility by blending refined formal wear with sharp new silhouettes.
Casual pieces are grounded by authentic denim in deep indigos, which stood out on Trafalgar Square’s magnificent stone steps.
Topshop’s relaunch comes as the high street continues to struggle and as the UK operation of Chinese fashion giant Shein announced pre-tax profits of £38.3m for the year, up some £14m from 2023.
‘Top end of the market’
Moses Rashid, global marketing director at Topshop/Topman said they are competing in a different space.
Image: Topshop has been operating on the online fashion platform ASOS after ceasing to operate as a standalone business in 2020
“We’re at the top end of the market. We’re about elevation. We pride ourselves on the quality of the product,” he said.
Those products are being designed in north London, and managing director Michelle Wilson said the aim is to stay that way.
“We are a British brand, we want to be a positive force for fashion. We want to bring London to the world. It’s fundamental to who we are as a brand, our style is very much London-driven.”
The majority Danish-owned company has suggested it will slow fashion down by opening physical stores where customers can touch the products, browse collections and try things on, though the flagship on Oxford Circus is unlikely to return because a Swedish fast furniture brand has since occupied the space.
Designer Wayne Hemingway has previously collaborated with Topshop and said the relaunch must be more than nostalgia.
“They can’t rely on their old customers because their old customers have now got kids of their own to spend their money on, and they’ve got mortgages and all of those things of what being an adult means.
“They’ve got to have designers, marketeers, people who understand – who are on the pulse – who understood, number one, what was a success back then, and also a young generation of people who are there saying, ‘this is what our generation needs’, and who are bright and can help deliver that. They can’t rely on the past.”
Jones said in a statement: “A few months ago, I had to stop my tour HA!MILTON because I needed treatment for prostate cancer. I’m glad to say I’ve had that treatment and am now cancer-free!
“So, many thanks to all the doctors and nurses who helped me get better – I couldn’t do their job (I tried, but apparently you have to be qualified).”
Thanking his family, friends and fans, he went on to joke: “I have to admit there were a few dark moments when I wondered if anyone would ever see me again, but then I realised that I was leaning against the light switch.
“Thankfully, I’m now in a completely different place, and if you look at my website, you’ll see that very soon I’ll be in lots of other different places on tour too”.
Jones picks up his tour on 15 September in Stafford, touring until the end of November 2025.
The show, whose name is a play on the title of the hit musical Hamilton, promises laughter and unforgettable comedy moments, as well as jokes about giraffes and tomatoes.
The Richmond-born comedian has been hailed as the king of the one-liner, basing his jokes on clever wordplay and surreal humour.
He has performed on Live At The Apollo, Lee Mack’s All Star Cast, and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.