Earlier Thursday (June 29), amid Travis Scott’s massive rollout for his upcoming studio album Utopia, the Harris County Grand Jury in Texas met to determine whether or not criminal charges would be pursued against Scott for his involvement in the fatal 2021 AstroWorld Fest catastrophe. The outcome of this meeting turned out favorably for Scott, whose legal name is Jacques Webster, as the district attorney in the case decided to clear the rapper of any criminal charges.
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“My client Travis Scott will not be charged with criminal charges or any wrongdoing for his involvement with AstroWorld festival,” Scott’s attorney Kent Schaffer revealed to American Songwriter in a statement.
At the November 2021 event held in Scott’s hometown of Houston, 10 people died due to a crowd surge during Scott’s performance. Authorities believe the injuries and casualties were caused by the venue being over capacity. In the immediate aftermath of the AstroWorld, aside from Scott having to delay his long-awaited Utopia album, he and the festival’s organizer Live Nation were hit with several lawsuits from families of the victims. But, as it pertains to criminal culpability, Scott appears to be in the clear.
“Today’s decision by the Harris County District Attorney confirms what we have known all along — that Travis Scott is not responsible for the AstroWorld tragedy,” Schaffer continued in his statement. “This is consistent with investigative reporting by numerous media outlets and federal and state government reports that have squarely placed the onus for event safety crises on organizers, operators and contractors — not performers. While waiting patiently for the District Attorney’s decision to not file charges, Travis Scott has been inaccurately and wrongly singled out, despite stopping the show three separate times and being unaware of the events as they were unfolding. Now that this chapter is closed, we hope for the government efforts to focus on what is most important — stopping future heartbreaking tragedies like AstroWorld from ever occurring again.”
As we approach the 2-year anniversary of the tragedy in Houston, Scott looks to restore normality in his life personally and professionally, with the help of his highly-anticipated fourth album. While the LP has not been given a release date yet, superstar acts like The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, and more are rumored to make appearances on Utopia.
Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage
