AP Photo/Tulsa World, Matt BarnardCountry singer Garth Brooks took the stand today in his lawsuit trial against Integris Canadian Valley Hospital in Yukon, Okla., over his $500,000 donation to the hospital to honor his mother, Colleen Brooks.
"In my recollection, not only did I agree, we agreed," Brooks said.
"I thought this was one of the great gifts my mom was going to bring to Yukon, Okla."
According to the local broadcast, News on 6, Brooks testified today that Integris' president told him for $250,000 they could name the ICU after his mother, but that didn't appeal to the country singer. Then when the president suggested naming the hospital's women's center for his mom for $500,000, Brooks was more than happy to comply.
Brooks said his mom had been a pregnant teenager and struggled, so she would have loved to be a part of anything having to do with helping young girls who are struggling also.
He explained that he didn't start to worry about where his money was going until after three years, when Brooks was told his donation was being spent but there was no women's center in the works.
Brooks' wife Trisha Yearwood told local reporters that it was "mentally exhausting" to watch her husband on the stand today, "It's hard for him because he's a real straight-forward, honest guy, and he doesn't want to hurt anybody's feelings, even in this."