| Category: Recreation: Performing Arts |
Earlier this month, at Travis Scott’s Houston festival Astroworld, a massive crowd surge killed 10 people while Scott was performing. The most recent victim was also the youngest. Nine-year-old Travis Scott fan Ezra Blount was trampled after falling from his father’s shoulders at the festival. For a few days after the festival, Blount was on life support, but then he died. Scott has previously offered to pay for the funerals of all 10 Astroworld victims, but Blount’s family, speaking through their lawyer, has declined Scott’s offer.
Right now, Scott is facing more than 120 lawsuits, for a total of more than $3 billion, from people who were at Astroworld. (Many of those plaintiffs are also suing promoters Live Nation, streaming partners Apple, venue NRG Stadium, and Scott’s surprise guest Drake.) According to The Texas Lawbook, Scott has hired the Los Angeles celebrity trial lawyer Daniel Petrocelli to represent him in those lawsuits. (Petrocelli is most famous for winning a wrongful death lawsuit against OJ Simpson on behalf of Ron Goldman’s father.)
In an email to the Blount family’s lawyer, Petrocelli claimed that Scott was willing to cover funeral expenses: “Travis asked me to reach out on his behalf to extend his deepest sympathies and condolences to Mr. Blount for the loss of his beloved son Ezra. Travis very much would like to reach out personally, but does not wish to intrude on Mr. Blount’s privacy during his time of grieving.”
Bob Hilliard, the Corpus Christi attorney who represents the Blount family in their lawsuit, responded, “Your client’s offer is declined… I don’t know if you’re a father. I don’t know if your client is a father. If you are, then all you have to do is put your child at 9-years-old in Ezra’s place and you both know what happens to your gut, at the most basic and instinctive level… [Scott] must face and hopefully see that he bears some of the responsibility for this tragedy. There may be, and I hope there is, redemption and growth for him on the other side of what this painful process will be — and perhaps one day, once time allows some healing for the victims and acceptance of responsibility by Mr. Scott and others, Treston and Mr. Scott might meet — as there is also healing in that.”
~ Via Stereogum |
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