Despite denying legal liability for the Astroworld tragedy last month, the lawsuits against Travis Scott continue to mount. Now, it’s being reported that the multiple lawsuits launched against the rapper following the fatal festival are amounting to tens of billions of dollars.
Thomas J. Henry, a personal injury lawyer from Texas, claims his firm has filed over $2 billion in lawsuits on behalf of victims of the festival.
Travis Scott isn’t the only person named in the lawsuits. Henry’s firm has also named Apple Music, Live Nation, NRG Stadium, and Drake, who also performed at the festival, in the lawsuits.
In addition, Brent Coon & Associates, another personal injury law firm in Texas, claims to have filed lawsuits demanding over $10 billion in damages against Travis and other involved parties. They’re seeking damages for “brain injuries, mental distress, bruises, and heart attacks,” Loop News reports.
Astroworld Festival is an annual music festival organized and headlined by Travis Scott. Since its launch in 2018, the festival has been held in Travis’ hometown of Houston, Texas at the former Six Flags Astroworld. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it was brought back in November 2021.
Unfortunately, however, the festival took a tragic turn when the crowd started pushing forward, causing mass panic. Multiple people were killed on-site and some later died in hospital. In total, there have been 10 reported casualties from the event, including the deaths of a 14-year-old and 16-year-old. In addition, more than 300 people were treated for injuries, including cardiac arrest.
Travis has come under fire for continuing to perform during the chaos and for attending an after-party following the event. Many of the lawsuits allege that the defendants were negligent and failed to take proper safety measures to avoid such a catastrophe.
Shortly after the fatal event, the rapper released a public statement saying he wasn’t aware of the severity of the crowd crush until he was already at the after-party. His on-and-off girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, who is currently pregnant with their second child, released a similar statement and expressed condolences to the lives lost.
Travis later offered to pay the funeral costs for the lives lost in the festival, though the families have decline. Accepting compensation, even in the form of a funeral, may prevent the victims and/or their families from pursuing legal action against Travis and others.
As per CNN, Travis has denied all allegations of wrongdoing in the lawsuits. He is also asking the lawsuits to be dismissed without prejudice, so they cannot be heard in court again.
Reports suggest that the cases will all be heard together, though an official court date has not been publicly made.
Sources: Thomas J. Henry, Brent Coon & Associates, Loop News, CNN,