Fanatics has taken legal action against rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. of the Arizona Cardinals more seriously and is now suing his father, Marvin Harrison Sr. The New York Supreme Court has received the amended case, which charges the two Harrisons with deceitful behavior in relation to a 2023 deal with the massive sports retail company.
Allegations of forgery are made in the complaint, which states that Harrison Sr. signed a crucial term sheet for The Official Marvin Harrison Collection Company, but the signature is very similar to that of his son. Enthusiasts assert that the Harrisons never planned to carry out the deal, which was meant to entail promotional commitments and signed memorabilia. In a court filing, Fanatics declared, “Defendants knowingly induced Fanatics to enter into the Binding Term Sheet, never intending to perform; mimicked Harrison Jr.’s signature to mislead Fanatics into believing Harrison Jr. had signed for his company; and abused the corporate form in a fraudulent attempt to shield themselves (and the company) from any liability in the process.”
Harrison Jr. had previously claimed that his father, who was acting on his behalf, was responsible for any responsibilities and that he was not personally bound by the agreement. Fanatics responded that Harrison Jr. breached the agreement, disregarded efforts to resolve the matter, and openly rejected the agreement’s existence.
Fanatics has asked for a jury trial and is requesting significant damages per Jenna West at The Athletic. Now, both parties are thinking of using mediation to settle their differences. Harrison Jr. has performed well in NFL training camp thus far, but he has not yet signed the group license agreement required by the NFL Players Association to sell his likeness.
