Travis Scott, Drake sued over Astroworld concert incident
The two performers were accused of inciting the crowd, which eventually turned deadly
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rappers Travis Scott and Drake have been sued over the incident at the former’s Astroworld Festival on Friday that left eight people dead.
Fox News can confirm that Texas attorney Thomas J. Henry filed a lawsuit Sunday against Travis Scott, whose real name is Jacques Bermon Webster, as well as Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham. The suit also names Live Nation and NRG Stadium.
According to a report from The Daily Mail, the suit is being filed on behalf of concert attendee Kristian Paredes, 23, from Austin, Texas. Paredes reportedly filed the complaint seeking more than $1 million in damages after both rappers allegedly "incited the crowd" and left him injured.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Astroworld Festival reportedly turned deadly when the crowd surged forward after Drake made an appearance on stage.
Rapper Travis Scott was performing on stage when what authorities are calling a "mass casualty incident" occurred. (Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage)
At a news conference Saturday afternoon, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner confirmed that while the age of one fatality remained unknown, other victims were 14, 16, 21, 21, 23, 23 and 27. The causes of the deaths were not immediately known following what has been referred to as a "mass casualty incident."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a press release announcing the lawsuit, Henry noted that Drake and Scott continued to perform even as vehicles attempted to break through the crowd to help those who had been injured and others called for the show to be stopped.
"Live musical performances are meant to inspire catharsis, not tragedy," said Henry in a press release. "Many of these concert-goers were looking forward to this event for months, and they deserved a safe environment in which to have fun and enjoy the evening. Instead, their night was one of fear, injury, and death."
TRAVIS SCOTT'S ASTROWORLD DEATHS WERE PRECEDED BY FAN INJURIES AT 2019 FESTIVAL
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The crowd watches as Travis Scott performs at Astroworld Festival at NRG park on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021 in Houston. Several people died and numerous others were injured in what officials described as a surge of the crowd at the music festival while Scott was performing. Officials declared a "mass casualty incident" just after 9 p.m. Friday during the festival where an estimated 50,000 people were in attendance, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña told reporters at a news conference. (Jamaal Ellis/Houston Chronicle via AP)
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A separate suit filed Saturday on behalf of concert attendee Manuel Souza and confirmed by Fox News lists Scott as a defendant and accuses the "owners, operators, promoters, public relations representatives, and/or organizers of the concert and/or owners owner and operators of the premises" of "conscious disregard of the extreme risk of harm to concertgoers that had been escalating since hours earlier."
The lawsuit cites a tweet Scott posted on May 5 in reaction to angry fans complaining the show was sold out, with Scott reacting that they would "still be sneaking the wild ones in."
The suit argues this tweet "recklessly encouraged fans to breach the barriers and otherwise actively encouraged a culture of violence."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As proud residents of Houston, we are sickened by the devastating tragedy that took place on Friday night," attorneys for Souza told Fox News. "Travis Scott has a history of inciting violence and creating dangerous conditions for concertgoers. In fact, he tweeted that he would let the wild ones in after the show sold out. He and those who promoted and supported this concert must take responsibility for their heinous actions. We intend to hold them fully accountable by showing that this behavior will not be tolerated in our great city."
"We will be investigating this tragedy over the next few days and hope to shed light on what happened and provide answers to victims and the families of those victims. No one should ever attend a concert in fear. This must stop," the statement continued.
A third lawsuit, filed on behalf of 21-year-old Noah Gutierrez by Attorney Ben Crump, was also announced on Sunday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We are hearing horrific accounts of the terror and helplessness people experienced – the horror of a crushing crowd and the awful trauma of watching people die while trying unsuccessfully to save them," Crump's firm said in a statement posted to Twitter Sunday. "We will be pursuing justice for all our clients who were harmed in this tragic and preventable event."
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While the lawsuits clearly seek to blame Scott and Drake for keeping the show going despite seemingly knowing that the crowd was in peril, Scott's longtime girlfriend, Kylie Jenner issued a statement on social media Sunday in which she noted that he was unaware of how dire the situation was in the crowd. Scott himself took to his Instagram Story to note that he typically tries to take care of people in the crowd when he notices someone might be in distress.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Scott, 29, has released a statement, as has event promoter Live Nation. (Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
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At the same event in 2019, a stampede broke out among the crowd that left at least three people injured. He was reportedly arrested in 2017 for inviting fans to bypass security and rush the stage at a show in Arkansas. That followed a separate incident in 2015 in which he pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an incident at Lollapalooza in Chicago, according to The Associated Press.