Arizona Cardinals: Fanatics Lawsuit Against Marvin Harrison Jr. Sees Significant Update…
Fanatics has made a crucial update in its legal case against Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., now also targeting his father for involvement in alleged fraudulent activities.
A few months ago, Fanatics initiated a lawsuit against Harrison in the New York Supreme Court, accusing him of violating a contract he signed with the company in May 2023. This contract involved autographs, signed trading cards, game-worn gear, and other promotional opportunities.
The lawsuit claims the agreement was valued at over $1 million, but Harrison has failed to meet his obligations to the well-known sports merchandise company.
Additionally, The Official Harrison Collection LLC, owned by Harrison, is named as a defendant for selling signed memorabilia through its website, which asserts itself as the only source for purchasing Harrison’s signed items.
Fanatics alleges that Harrison informed them that larger competitors and other trading card companies have made him better offers, and he demanded that Fanatics match or surpass these offers.
However, Harrison has reportedly refused to provide details about these competing offers to Fanatics.
The suit further accuses Harrison of leaking confidential information about his contract with Fanatics to ESPN. Fanatics is seeking a jury trial and damages estimated in the millions to enforce the rookie’s contractual obligations.
Fanatics Includes Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Father in Revised Lawsuit Against NFL Rookie
In a recent development, Fanatics has revised its lawsuit against Harrison, this time also implicating his father. As reported by Josh Weinfuss for ESPN, the amended lawsuit was filed last week in the New York State Supreme Court and now includes fraud allegations against Marvin Harrison Sr., a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
The revised lawsuit claims that Harrison Sr. “aided and abetted Harrison Jr.’s fraud on Fanatics.” Additionally, it alleges that the signature on the binding term sheet closely resembles Harrison Jr.’s signature on other documents.
Fanatics argues that Harrison Jr., Harrison Sr., and The Official Harrison Collection used this agreement to serve their own interests and to gain leverage with other licensees for greater financial gain.
Despite these new allegations, the core issue remains: Fanatics believes it had a binding agreement with Harrison Jr., while Harrison Jr. argues that the contract was between his company and Fanatics, not himself personally.
As the NFL preseason progresses, this legal battle is expected to have significant repercussions on the league’s licensing and sponsorship agreements.
