Nearly two years after the Astroworld Festival tragedy in Houston, Travis Scott appeared in court Monday, September 18, as he answered questions in response to hundreds of civil lawsuits.
The Houston rapper, 32, gave a deposition in an eight-hour court session, according to Billboard. Ten people died, and hundreds were injured from a crowd surge during Scott’s headline performance on the first night of the festival at NRG Park on November 5, 2021, in his hometown.
“Travis Scott’s deposition is typical legal procedure. What is not typical is how the media continues to focus on him despite being cleared of any wrongdoing by extensive government investigations, including by the Houston Police Department,” Ted Anastasiou, a spokesperson for Scott, said in a statement. “Travis is fully cooperating with the legal process while still remaining committed to his tour in support of his record-breaking album, Utopia, and his charitable efforts to support at-risk communities.”
Due to a gag order, Scott’s testimony cannot be revealed by lawyers and others witnessing the proceedings.
Scott’s deposition comes eight months before the first trial from the lawsuits, which is scheduled for May 6, 2024. More than 1,500 lawsuits were filed against Scott and Live Nation, the concert promoter.
Eight people died the night of the concert, and two more died in the hospital over the following days from chest compression as the result of being crushed by the crowd. More than 300 people were treated for injuries. Scott completed his performance, and the second and third days of the festival were canceled.
The eight-time Grammy nominee began his set at approximately 9:06 p.m. with the opening song, “Escape Plan.” As he began performing, people started pushing toward the front of the stage, leading to a human crush.
On June 29, a Texas grand jury declined to indict Scott or anyone else associated with the concert on criminal charges.
Scott went on a hiatus following the tragedy. On July 28, he released his fourth studio album, Utopia, his first since the Astroworld LP in 2018.
Utopia debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. It features Drake, who performed with Scott at the Astroworld Festival, along with an all-star cast including Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, SZA, Future, and many more.
Scott planned to promote Utopia with a special live-streamed event from the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt on July 28. However, it was canceled due to “complex production issues,” event organizer Live Nation said at the time.
Scott did perform the album on August 7 at the Circus Maximus in Rome for 60,000 attendees. Kanye West was his special guest.
