Travis Scott will now have to face a jury of his peers in relation to the numerous lawsuits for the Astroworld Festival tragedy. According to Billboard, Judge Kristen Hawkins has ruled that Scott will not be able to avoid the trial. Previously, Scott’s attorneys had claimed that he could not be legally liable for what went down. Attorney Daniel Petrocelli was the one to make this argument, noting that adrenaline and all sorts of other factors play into these shows.
“Like any other adrenaline-inducing diversion, music festivals must balance exhilaration with safety and security—but that balance is not the job of performing artists, even those involved in promoting and marketing performances,” Scott’s attorney said. “Which only makes sense: Performing artists, even those who engage in certain promotional activities, have no inherent expertise or specialized knowledge in concert safety measures, venue security protocols, or site-design.”
HOUSTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 05: Travis Scott performs during 2021 Astroworld Festival at NRG Park on November 05, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage)
Scott has been sued by upwards of 2500 people, including the families of those who passed away during the show. Artists like Drake have been investigated throughout the process, although Drizzy has been asked to be dismissed from the case. In fact, Drake got what he wanted. Now, Scott will have to go through the arduous court process, and it could very well take a while given the fact that a class action lawsuit is at play. Only time will tell how this will play out.
Let us know what you think of this update, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that Travis Scott is at fault for what happened? Do you think this trial will lead to significant payouts? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists.
Travis Scott will always be synonymous with the 2021 Astroworld tragedy. It was one of the most tragic hip-hop incidents of the 21st century, and the rapper was criticized by fans for the way he publicly handled the situation. Scott’s career has continued to thrive in the years since, but a recent Instagram post rubbed fans the wrong way. The post saw the University of Texas football team “stampede” the camera next to Scott. Many felt the post was disrespectful to the memory of those who lost their lives at the Astroworld festival.
The Instagram post was part of Scott’s “Jack Goes Back To College” rollout. The rapper partnered with various sports companies to launch an NCAA fashion brand, and the University of Texas was the second stop on his promo tour. In isolation, the video of the Longhorns storming the field is inoffensive. The UT account added the caption: “POV: Travis Scott pulls up to practice,” furthering the celebratory intention. However, the context of what happened at Astroworld was not lost on the rest of the world. Viewers took to the comment section in droves to voice their displeasure over the post and its seeming lack of awareness.
It’s easy to see why. Firstly, Scott is still dealing with lawsuits from the horrific 2021 incident. Secondly, the rapper is actively promoting the same aggressive energy that led to the death of nine people at said incident. Fans were particularly bothered by the end of the Instagram video, when the football players are seen stomping over the camera as though it were a person on the ground. Not a good look at all. Some IG users called the post “disturbing,” while others criticized Scott’s marketing team for allowing such a mishap to occur.
Travis Scott has offered condolences over the Astroworld tragedy despite the ongoing lawsuits. During a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, the rapper admitted to being “devastated” by what happened. “I always think about it,” he admitted. “Those fans were like my family. You know, I love my fans to the utmost.” Scott discussed the incident on the EUPHORIA album cut “My Eyes,” which he deemed his favorite song on the album. “The song is emotional to me,” he told GQ. “And that verse means a lot to me.”
The hip-hop world suffered huge losses back in November of 2021. Of course, we are referring to when at least eight concertgoers lost their lives at the Astroworld Festival. It is crazy to think that it was nearly three years ago, and that night will never be truly forgotten. There is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding it, with families still looking for some answers. However, while Drake was certainly heartbroken, he also feels that his name should be removed from the Astroworld lawsuits.
AllHipHop reports that Drake’s legal team is arguing that his lack in planning makes him not liable. Their motion reads, “Mr. Graham did not receive any security briefings, was not informed of any crowd control issues, injuries or deaths in the crowd, or any stop show orders at any time either before or during his 14-minute performance.” Furthermore, they are saying that since he was “under oath” to not having any input on planning the event, there is no reason for Drake’s name to be tied up.
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 10: Travis Scott (L) and Drake backstage during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Drake and his team certainly have a compelling argument. All around this was a very poorly planned event, with security measures taking a backseat. It makes sense why Travis Scott, Live Nation, Scoremore, and Apple, are receiving the bulk of the lawsuits. Unfortunately, it may be a little while longer before anything truly happens. We continue to send our thoughts and condolences to the families who lost their kids that night.
What are your thoughts on Drake asking to be removed from the Astroworld lawsuit? Do you think he will get his wish, why or why not? Do you think he is the most innocent one that was a part of the tragedy? Will there be any justice for the families who lost the children? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Drake, Travis Scott. and the Astroworld tragedy. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the world of music.
Travis Scott has gone through quite a bit over the past couple of years. Overall, most would point to the 2021 Astroworld Festival tragedy. Ten people died and countless others were injured during the show. Subsequently, Scott was hit with numerous lawsuits and was even criminally investigated. Now, he is waiting for the lawsuits to begin in civil court, and there is no doubt that it will be a huge undertaking for everyone who is involved.
Today, Scott graced the cover of GQ where he was asked about the tragedy. Scott spoke candidly about what took place, noting that it was an awful event. He understands the effect it had on the families and the people who witnessed it all go down. Furthermore, he made sure to mention how he is constantly thinking about what happened and how he could have handled it differently. “I always think about it. Those fans were like my family. You know, I love my fans to the utmost… You just feel for those people. And their families,” Travis said.
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Travis Scott attends the premiere of Netflix’s “Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly” at Barker Hangar on August 27, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)
Subsequently, Scott talked about the song “My Eyes” on Utopia. Overall, this track was about the feelings he has from the event. Although some feel like he doesn’t care, he actually does care a great deal. “[I want them] to know I have pain too,” Travis Scott said. “I have concerns, things that I think about, and the things I see on a day-to-day basis I think about them. And every day I want to find change in the things, to make things better, make myself better. It’s just like: I go through things like everyone else. And even recently through something like I never could imagine.”
Overall, it is going to be hard for these parties to really process what went down. Closure is on the horizon, however, nothing will erase the pain of the victims’ families. Let us know what you think of Travis’ response, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will always be sure to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists.
When he first began his annual Astroworld Festival,Travis Scott definitely aspired to make it something his fans wouldn’t forget. With each passing year, the event grew substantially, though 2021 was unfortunately when it all fell apart. In November of that year, 10 attendees (aged 9 to 27) lost their lives in a massive crowd crush. Their official cause of death was declared as “compression asphyxia,” which has been compared to being crushed by a car. Scott was hit with several lawsuits as a result of the fatal chaos, and while many of those have since been settled, on Monday (November 6), another legal case against La Flame came to light.
As The Blast reports, Ceremony of Roses is taking legal action against the father of two for “substantial financial harm” caused by the Astroworld Fest. The company previously provided Scott and Co. with carnival games and other amusements for the deadly event. According to them, the “SKELETONS” artist is responsible for the lack of safety measures implemented. When all was said and done, Ceremony of Roses claims they were left with no feasible way to recoup $700K worth of out-of-pocket expenses.
November 2023 Marks Two Years Since Travis Scott’s Deadly Astroworld Festival
“At the very minimum, Defendants owed COR a duty to exercise ordinary care in maintaining a safe and secure environment for COR’s business activities and Festival attendees,” the newly filed lawsuit, which also names Live Nation, declared. “Defendants negligently and willfully breached this duty in numerous respects.” Currently, Ceremony of Roses is seeking an unspecified amount in damages from Scott.
November 5 was a traumatic day to relive for anyone who was at Travis Scott’s Houston festival in 2021. As the lives of those who succumbed to their injuries from the crowd crush are mourned by their loved ones, La Flame has been focusing on moving past the incident while on his Circus Maximus Tour. While taking over SoFi Stadium this past weekend, Trav brought out his firstborn, Stormi Webster, to perform “MAFIA” with him. Catch that adorable moment at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
Back in 2021, a crowd at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival in Texas turned deadly as multiple people were crushed. At the end of the panic, 10 people died, and thousands of people were injured. Now, a Texas grand jury is meeting today to determine if Scott is subject to criminal charges for the incident. The Houston native and his attorney, Kent Schaffer, are unsure if the jury will issue anything specifically today. The DA’s office in Harris County has yet to comment on the matter.
Schaffer is confident that Travis Scott is not liable for this unfortunate situation, saying, “Nothing Travis did or failed to do fits within the Texas criminal code.” Prosecutors, on the other hand, will present evidence today that’s in direct opposition to that statement. In 2021, Astroworld Houston saw an overcrowded group of Scott fans swell toward the stage when he came on. Because of this, ten people died due to compressive asphyxiation. Essentially, the crowd crushed certain people, and those people could not breathe, effectively killing them.
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 22: Travis Scott attends the “The Idol” red carpet during the 76th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 22, 2023, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Prosecutors claim Scott, festival organizers, and Live Nation (a Ticketmaster affiliate) allowed too many people to enter the venue. This was in disregard to the risks of overcrowding. Plaintiffs argue that Scott and the organizers wanted to give the appearance of a packed concert. Over 4900 fans faced injuries after the mass crushing. The Texas grand jury consolidated all of the lawsuits stemming from this tragic situation in a process called multidistrict litigation. That way, whatever the ruling is, that ruling will transfer to all other similar cases.
The attorneys representing the bereaved families are looking for “criminal and civil accountability” so that Travis Scott and others in charge of the Astroworld Festival know and feel the permanent damage caused. In the meantime, Scott is working on his next album. He is about to drop UTOPIA on the world, taking out billboard ads and updating his website in time for the launch. Despite the unfortunate events of Astroworld 2021 in Houston, fans are still clamoring for new Travis Scott music.
In November 2021, 50,000 fans packed into NRG Park for Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival. The festival was initially intended to be broken up into two crowds. However, all of the fans came together for the main act. Earlier in the days, the likes of Don Toliver and SZA performed. Fans enjoyed the day, and things moved with ease. However, things took a turn during Travis Scott’s set.
It’s been nearly a year and a half since Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival tragedy. Eight people died during the night of the concert. In addition, two more passed away in the hospital over the following days, and hundreds more sustained injuries. With Scott being a Houston native, his hometown concert would always be a hectic affair. The cause of the tragic deaths was related to a mass rush toward the front of the stage, resulting in hostile and claustrophobic conditions.
Astroworld: A Deadly Scene
HOUSTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 05: Travis Scott performs during 2021 Astroworld Festival at NRG Park on November 05, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage)
While watching multiple videos online, droves of audience members can be seen making desperate attempts to stop the show. Groups of screaming fans vaulted onto the stage to plead with workers to speak to Travis Scott. There were clear and repeated attempts to prevent the tragedies which took place. Amid multiple 911 dials, ambulances began to make their way into the crowd. However, the show largely continued during these occurrences.
There’s been a constant debate about the level of responsibility that should be levied on Scott. After Astroworld, he indicated that he wasn’t at fault for the tragedy. He stated, “Any time I could make out, you know, anything that’s going on, I just stopped my show and, you know, helped them get the help they need.” In fact, it’s not the first time Scott has been accused of doing a poor job of controlling his crowd. Stemming from an incident at Lollapalooza 2015, he was sentenced to a year of court supervision after pleading guilty to reckless conduct charges. Chicago officials stated that he had encouraged fans to vault security barricades.
Undergoing Criticism
This isn’t to say that Scott made no attempts to calm the crowd. Between 9:20 pm and 9:45 pm, he stopped the show three times to check in with the audience. Each of these times, he made brief statements such as, “Let’s stick together to make sure we’re all okay.” Scott’s lawyer has argued that his client had no idea about the extent of what was going on in the crowd. By 10:15 pm, Scott had abruptly ended the show. However, the Houston Chronicle reported that he continued to perform for 37 minutes after the festival had already been declared a mass casualty event.
Scott has also been heavily criticized for how he’s responded to the event. Whether it be deflecting blame or not directly addressing the situation, he’s kept his responses brief and hazy. With over 40 civil lawsuits being aimed at Scott, there’s no doubt that his lawyers have advised him not to speak too much. Mostly, he’s seemingly left the situation to his representatives. In his first interview since the tragedy with Charlamagne the God, the two spoke for an hour. Scott repeatedly stated, “We need to figure this out” or “Gather all of the details.” Fans responded to this interview with the understandable sentiment that these comments were coming far too late.
The Shift In Festival Culture
. (Photo by Thomas Shea / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS SHEA/AFP via Getty Images)
Labeled a mass casualty event, the Astroworld Festival has changed the landscape of concerts forever. Artists now worry about checking in on their audiences throughout large-scale shows. In retrospect, it feels as if the terrible occurrences at the Astroworld Festival were something that had been brewing in the trap scene. Mosh-pits had taken over concerts, with artists often doing little to address news of people passing out in the crowd. There was an existing culture of ignorance regarding artists maturely controlling crowds.
In addition, crowd members have become more conscious of the people around them since the incident. Undoubtedly, the hoards of lawsuits levied against Scott have delayed his highly anticipated album, Utopia. Only a few of these lawsuits have been settled, with Scott reaching an agreement with the families. However, there remains a cloud of doubt surrounding his future. While he’s undeniably shied away from the spotlight since the incident, he’s begun to return to performing. That said, it’s questionable if Scott can ever host his own festival again.
Rolling Loud Miami virtually became a bust this year after Yeezy dropped out of his slot as headliner for his July 22nd show, only to be replaced by Kid Cudi.
“We were looking forward to Ye headlining Rolling Loud Miami 2022,” Rolling Loud said in a statement. “We spent months working with him and his team on the performance. Unfortunately, Ye has decided that he will no longer be performing.”
Fans took to social media to criticize the festival, specifically the co-founders, who they feel deceived them into believing Kanye West was headlining. Co-founder .Tariq Cherif was a target of the lion’s share of the comments, to which he replied, “Tried to convince Ye to stay on the lineup but he wasn’t having it.”
Some wondered why Cudi was selected instead of Travis Scott, but Cherif blamed the Hard Rock Stadium venue for not allowing him to perform following the 10 deaths at his Astroworld Festival last November.
“Venue won’t allow Travis because of Astroworld deaths,” he continued.
According to the Co-Founder of Rolling Loud Tariq Cherif, Kanye West backed out of Rolling Loud because the venue wouldn’t let him bring out Travis Scott pic.twitter.com/khEIq6lzVF
With the backlash getting worse. Cherif, is now backpedaling on his original statements on why Scott wasn’t Ye’s fill in.
According to TMZ, Cherif says Rolling Loud did, in fact, reach out to Travis Scott’s team about filling in for Yeezy, but the short time constraints made the turnaround nearly impossible to pull off for Scott’s desired intricate stage design.
Rolling Loud Miami kicks off at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday (July 22).
Travis Scott is responding to an Astroworld victim’s attorney after receiving backlash for stopping a recent concert to keep fans safe.
Alex Hilliard, an attorney representing Ezra Blount’s family said Scott’s actions don’t prove he is compassionate and willing to keep order. The family believes it shows the “goosebumps” rapper is picking and choosing when he puts his fans safety first.
A representative for Scott told TMZ, the attorney’s and family’s response is despicable, and a cynical height of hypocrisy. The rep also said they are completely ignoring the fact that 31-year-old Scott stopped his performance at Astroworld three different times.
La Flame stopped his performance over the weekend to tell fans to get down from the light fixtures they had climbed. He encouraged the concert goers to listen to the requests from security and climb down from the lighting structures so that everyone would be able to safely enjoy his performance.
The family of Ezra Blount is suing Travis Scott, Live Nation and other organizers of the festival for his death. Blount was 9 years-old, the youngest victim of the Astroworld tragedy, which killed 10 people.
