Travis Scott To Face Jury Trial Over Astroworld Lawsuits
Travis Scott (whose real name is Jacques Bermon Webster II) will be facing a jury trial over the Astroworld Lawsuits, a judge rules after ten people who attended his 2021 festival were killed in a crowd surge. State District Judge Kristen Hawkins denied Scott’s request to dismiss himself and his touring and production company, XX Global, from the case per the Associated Press.
Drake, who was a surprise guest at the festival was dismissed by Hawkins as well as seven companies, and individual people who had been sued, according to ABC earlier this month. Companies such as Apple Music, which live-streamed the event, were not dismissed.
Noah Wexler, who is the attorney for the family of Madison Dubiski, a 23-year-old fan who was one of the victims, is arguing that Scott “encouraged people who didn’t have tickets to break in” and did not listen to festival organizers when he was asked to stop his set. Dubiski’s family is set to go to trial on May 6.
Travis Scott Will Not Face Criminal Charges Over 2021 Astroworld Tragedy
While Scott will face civil lawsuits from the families of the victims over the Astworld tragedy, the rapper will not face criminal charges.
“It is tragic that ten innocent people were killed while trying to enjoy an evening of music and entertainment, something many of us do routinely and without a second thought to our safety. But a tragedy isn’t always a crime, and not every death is a homicide,” District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement per NBC News back in June 2023. “This grand jury’s determination has no impact on the many civil lawsuits pending.”
Among those who lost their lives was a 9-year-old named Ezra Blount. The other victims were ages 14 to 27; they all died from compression asphyxia, the publication reports. Nearly 2,400 people required medical treatment after the incident.
Scott’s attorney, Kent Schaffer, said the court’s decision accurately reflects the rapper’s position in the incident.
Scott’s legal team, led by litigator Daniel Petrocelli, is arguing that the safety of fans at concerts is “not the job of performing artists,” per Billboard.
“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,” Petrocelli wrote. “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.”
Petrocelli continued: “When, during festival planning, concerns arose about the risk of a stampede occurring in the festival site, the Scott defendants supported festival organizers’ efforts to eliminate that risk by agreeing to remove certain rides and other attractions at the site. Then, when the Scott defendants were told to end the show after Mr. Scott’s guest performer finished performing, they did just that—ending the show as directed.”
The Utopia rapper spoke out about the tragedy a month following the incident.
“It gets so hard because, you know, I always feel connected with my fans,” he told Charlamagne Tha God at the time. “I went through something and I feel like fans went through something and people’s parents went through something. And it really hurts.”
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