Topline
Travis Scott, a rapper and founder of the Astroworld Festival, could be held responsible in a civil lawsuit over the deaths of 10 people at the 2021 rendition of the concert after a judge denied his request to be dismissed from the case because he claimed he had no role in security decisions made for the show.
Timeline
April 24, 2024Houston Judge Kristen Hawkins ruled Scott, born Jacques Bermon Webster II, could be held civilly responsible in lawsuits filed against him over his role in the deaths of 10 people at the Astroworld festival in 2021—denying his lawyer’s requests.
April 15, 2024Scott’s lawyers asked for the rapper to be dismissed from the lawsuits filed by families and victims of the Astroworld festival incident, arguing he was responsible only for creative aspects of the festival and not any of the safety failures that led to the deaths and injuries.
April 10, 2024Drake, who was still performing with Scott after the Houston Police Department declared a mass-casualty event, was dismissed from a class-action lawsuit after his lawyers argued he was not part of festival planning and was not responsible for any decisions made around security or crowd control.
April 10, 2024Epic Records, Scott and Drake’s record label, was also dismissed.
April 8, 2024A district judge dismissed several defendants in the suit against Astroworld’s organizers.
March 20, 2024Documents filed to support civil lawsuits against the concert revealed safety officials were concerned about the number of people near the stage before the festival took place and miscalculated the number of people allowed to be within safety codes, instead allowing 50,000 to cram into a space meant for 34,500, according to the BBC.
July 28, 2023The Houston Police Department released its 1,266-page report into the Astroworld festival, finding that police tried to warn Live Nation the festival was too large for the venue, that unconscious fans were being lifted out of the crowd and mosh pits even before Scott’s performance began and that radio communications shared with Scott throughout the show did convey people had died.
June 29, 2023A Harris County grand jury failed to indict Scott on any criminal charges connected to the concert, instead finding that “no single individual was criminally responsible” for the deaths or injuries.
May 7, 2022Travis Scott performed for the first time after Astroworld at a Miami Grand Prix celebration.
Dec. 16, 2021The cause of death for the 10 people who died at the concert was found to be compression asphyxia, caused by external pressure cutting off air from the body.
Nov. 28, 2021A $2 billion lawsuit by hundreds of injured victims was filed in a state court in Houston.
Nov. 16, 2021Harris County commissioners rejected Houston Judge Lina Hidalgo’s request for an independent investigation to be done into the festival and what went wrong.
Nov. 7, 2021A vigil was held for the victims of the Astroworld tragedy at Annunciation Catholic Church in Houston.
Nov. 5, 2021A total of 10 people aged 9 to 27 died after an over-capacity crowd rushed the stage during a Travis Scott performance at NRG Park in Houston.
What To Watch For
The first trial from the civil lawsuits is scheduled for May 6, according to the Associated Press.
Key Background
Fifty thousand fans visited NRG Park for the third year of Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival, with a lineup set to include Bad Bunny, Tame Impala and Earth, Wind & Fire, among others. Scott was set to perform on the first night of the festival, Nov. 5, and fans started assembling outside of the mainstage before his 9 p.m. show, ABC News reported. At about 9 p.m., the show began and Scott could be seen on the Apple livestream of the concert stopping his performance several times in response to fans passing out or needing medical attention. The crowd rushing worsened, according to ABC, and Houston Police were responding to reports of a mass casualty event as of roughly 9:40 p.m. At around 10 p.m., Drake appeared on stage. Scott did not stop performing until about 10:15 p.m., though several reports claim he was told of what was happening on stage and that the crowd was chanting “Stop the show! Stop the show!” A spokesperson for the rapper later said Scott didn’t have the authority to stop the show. Scott released a statement on Instagram the day after the performance and said he was “absolutely devastated.” The first lawsuit against him was filed that day. At least four families have settled lawsuits in relation to their loved one’s death, the Associated Press reported.
Contra
Scott has repeatedly said he did not know about the tragedy unfolding in the crowd until after the show was over. Scott told police he did see one person near the stage getting medical attention but otherwise did not know about the widespread nature of the issue. He said he did not hear any of the “Stop the show!” chants from the crowd, and would have done so had he known. In November of 2023, Scott reflected on the incident in an interview with GQ and said “I always think about it. Those fans were like my family. You know, I love my fans to the utmost.” A song called “My Eyes,” released last year, includes a reference to the tragedy: “I replay them nights, and right by my side, all I see is a sea of people that ride wit’ me. If they just knew what Scotty would do to jump off the stage and save him a child.” A lawyer for Scott did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment Monday.
Big Number
2. That’s how many times Scott had been arrested on charges related to inciting a crowd before the 2021 concert. Scott was arrested at Lollapalooza in 2015 after encouraging fans to jump barriers (he pleaded guilty and paid a fine) and was again arrested in 2017 for prompting fans to overrun security at a show (he again pleaded guilty and paid a fine).
