In a legal battle following the tragic events of the 2021 Astroworld festival, rap star Travis Scott’s attorneys made arguments in court on Monday to dismiss him from hundreds of lawsuits, contending that he was not accountable for safety measures during the Houston event.
The Astroworld festival turned fatal on November 5, 2021, resulting in the deaths of 10 individuals and injuries to hundreds more due to a massive crowd surge. Families of the deceased and the injured filed lawsuits against Travis Scott, Live Nation (the festival’s promoter), and numerous other parties.
During a court hearing, Scott’s attorney, Stephen Brody, asserted that Scott’s role was limited to performing, marketing, and overseeing talent curation, with no direct responsibility for safety planning or crowd monitoring. Brody emphasized that Scott halted his performance multiple times to address crowd issues he observed.
Opposing Scott’s dismissal, Noah Wexler, representing the family of one victim, argued that Scott, as a co-promoter of the festival, bore responsibility for safety under Texas rules. Wexler cited a tweet by Scott in May 2021 as evidence of instigating behavior, alleging it contributed to unsafe conditions.
Wexler further accused Scott and his team of creating dangerous situations by insisting on exclusive use of the main stage and disregarding safety directives backstage. Allegations also included threats to release personal information of those considering event cancellation.
In his deposition, Scott stated he was unaware of fatalities until after his performance and was instructed to end the show after a guest artist’s performance. He expressed remorse for the tragic outcome and acknowledged the impact on families and the community.
Hawkins, the presiding judge, is yet to rule on Scott’s motion for dismissal and similar requests from other defendants. Last week, lawsuits against Drake and other entities were dismissed. Despite police investigations and a grand jury decision not to indict Scott, civil lawsuits persist.
The lawsuit filed by the family of Madison Dubiski, one of the victims, is scheduled for trial on May 6, potentially setting a precedent for other pending cases.
