Rapper Travis Scott is requesting dismissal from a lawsuit over the deadly 2021 Astroworld festival in Houston, and a Texas judge is expected to hear arguments in this matter on Monday.
Authorities and festival organizers attempted to halt the performance in response to a huge rise in attendance, and 10 people lost their lives. Scott was the headliner of the event.
A judge rejected complaints last week against various people and businesses associated with the performance, including hip-hop guest musician Drake.
In the request to dismiss, Scott's lawyers state that their client, Jacques Bermon Webster II, better known by his stage name "Cactus Jack," was only involved in the festival as a musician and had nothing to do with security or crowd control.
Members of the audience should not expect performers to provide them with particular protection or shield them from other members of the throng, according to the proposal. "No performing artist, regardless of how involved in marketing they may be, possesses the innate expertise or specialized knowledge necessary to ensure the safety of concertgoers."
It was believed that a sudden finish could have caused rioting, panic, and confusion in the crowd, so Scott followed directions and closed the show following Drake's performance by delivering one final song, according to the motion. The text states that in order to ensure that the audience felt happy and could depart calmly, it was necessary to close the show properly.
Scott was not indicted along with five others on any criminal offenses pertaining to the fatal concert following an investigation by the Houston police. A grand jury also declined to indict Scott. Compression asphyxia, which an expert compared to being crushed by a car, was the cause of death for the victims, whose ages varied from nineteen to twenty-seven.
May 6th is the day set for the first trial involving the lawsuits. Ten fatalities and hundreds of injuries have resulted in settlements to some of the lawsuits filed by their relatives; among them, four of the deceased have had their cases resolved.
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