Astroworld Tragedy: Travis Scott slammed with $2 billion lawsuit
Travis Scott and the Astroworld music fest organisers have been hit with a $2 billion lawsuit filed on behalf of 282 victims of the festival’s tragedy.
“The defendants stood to make an exorbitant amount of money off this event, and they still chose to cut corners, cut costs, and put attendees at risk,” San Antonio-based attorney Thomas Henry said in a statement.
“My clients want to ensure the defendants are held responsible for their actions, and they want to send the message to all performers, event organisers, and promoters that what happened at Astroworld cannot happen again,” he added.
The lawsuit, which names Scott, Drake, event organisers Live Nation, Apple Music and NRG Stadium as defendants, seeks up to $2 billion in damages.
In an interview with Hollywood Life last week, Henry revealed that his clients range in age from teens to 40.
“They have injuries ranging from heart attacks, to heart issues, to brain injuries, to spinal injuries, to broken bones, broken legs, eye injuries, internal organ injuries, bruising and bleeding,” the high-powered lawyer told the outlet.
In addition to the “severe physical injuries,” Henry said there is “just a whole calamity, emotional injuries that were suffered” as well.
“Those who were injured are still very traumatised because they had to step over dead bodies. They didn’t have a choice because there was nowhere to move. These people were trapped. The crushing effect was so heavy and so hard. They couldn’t breathe. They couldn’t get out,” he told Hollywood Life.
Henry said his law firm was focusing on Travis and Drake in attempts to get a hold of their cellphones.
“We already have started this process and are going to make sure that we get him and Drake’s cellphones because there are communication systems in play that will be in those cellphones,” he told the outlet.
“Every type of communication that he does, whether it be his audio, or his video, or his text messages, or his cellphone calls — we are going to make sure that they are all preserved,” Henry added.
The latest lawsuit comes on the heels of Houston attorney Tony Buzbee’s $750 million suit filed on behalf of 125 victims also against Scott, Drake, Live Nation, Epic Records, Apple Music and other entities.
His clients include the family of 21-year-old Axel Acosta Avila, one of 10 people who died in the tragedy.
CNN has also reported that Harris County District Court records reveal, at least 140 lawsuits filed in light of the tragedy.
Guardian/Hauwa Abu
