In deposition, Brooks unclear on deal with hospital

CLAREMORE, Okla. — Garth Brooks says an Oklahoma hospital pledged to name a women’s center for his late mother in return for $500,000, but a deposition unveiled Monday showed that, after filing a lawsuit, the country singer couldn’t remember what he had been promised.

Brooks claims the Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital failed to honor a promise to place Colleen Brooks’ name on a new women’s center in his hometown of Yukon. The center was never built and the singer wants his money back, plus punitive damages.

In testimony Friday, Brooks said that through a number of telephone calls, he reached a verbal agreement with the hospital in 2005.

In a brief cross-examination Monday, Integris lawyer Terry Thomas showed statements Brooks made in a deposition given after the singer filed a breach-of-contract claim against the hospital in 2009. In it, Brooks couldn’t say whether a new women’s center was promised, or whether Colleen Brooks’ name would be attached to an existing center.

“I don’t remember,” Brooks said in the deposition.

The singer concluded his testimony Monday. Rogers County District Judge Dynda Post has said she wants jurors to receive the case by Tuesday afternoon and be prepared to stay as late as midnight Tuesday to resolve it.

In his questioning, Thomas concentrated on casting doubt on any verbal agreement that Integris would place his mother’s name on a new women’s center if he donated $500,000 by the end of 2005. Brooks testified Monday he couldn’t remember 100 percent of the conversation but knew a deal was made.

Thomas also disputed Brooks’ insistence that the 2005 deal was firm.

“You have alleged that following (the phone conversations) with Mr. Moore that you relied on the representation of Integris and that you had a deal with Mr. Moore,” Thomas said.

“Yes, sir. Most certainly,” Brooks replied.

“Isn’t it true that conversations occurred for a long time after the (telephone conversations)?” Thomas asked.

“No, sir. That’s not true,” Brooks said.

Thomas then pointed out the singer’s lawsuit, which claimed in its introduction that Brooks, his lawyers and Integris had continuing discussions about Brooks’ donation beyond 2005 before they broke down, prompting the 2009 lawsuit.

Colleen Brooks died of cancer in 1999. Thomas suggested that naming the existing women’s center after Colleen Brooks could still happen.