While Travis Scott and Live Nation are slowly getting out of the woods when it comes to the Astroworld Festival tragedy in 2021, things aren't over. In case you didn't know, the concert series resulted in ten dead and hundreds injured following a catastrophic crowd crush during Scott's headlining set, prompting investigations and hundreds of lawsuits against him and the touring company for mismanagement, lack of planning, unfulfilled safety guidelines, and other similar issues. Even though La Flame and Live Nation settled most of these lawsuits, the Texas Supreme Court continues to litigate as a jury trial is on the horizon.
Furthermore, the court reportedly ruled last week on October 15 (per Billboard) that Live Nation's CEO, Michael Rapino, must face a deposition for his alleged involvement in the Travis Scott Astroworld disaster. The company had petitioned to halt the move, as they accused victims of using him as a scapegoat to "harass Live Nation and to coerce settlements." But the Texas Supreme Court upheld a judge's ruling earlier this summer that orders Rapino to testify. Some victims continue to move in the direction of a jury trial, but a purported bellwether trial faced a delay to February of next year from an original start date of this week.
Travis Scott At The 2024 BET Hip-Hop Awards
As for why the court delayed this trial, it's due to the various settlements that Travis Scott and Live Nation reached. Nevertheless, the latter argued that Michael Rapino was "not involved in the festival" or its decision-making process. "Mr. Rapino’s only connection to the festival was as Live Nation’s ultimate executive," defense attorneys expressed. "Any knowledge he may possess was obtained from others who have knowledge superior to his own." In response, victims' lawyers cited an email that Rapino sent the night of the tragedy, telling the company's festival director to hold off on canceling the festival until they had more updates on the death toll. "If 5 died we would cancel," he reportedly wrote.
"Remarkably, Live Nation claims that Rapino was not the decision-maker on whether to cancel the Festival," victims' attorneys shared. "This email proves otherwise, and plaintiffs want an opportunity to examine Rapino about it." They claim that Live Nation's legal team obfuscated Michael Rapino's actual involvement in the decision-making process of Travis Scott's festival. We still have no word on when this deposition would take place, so keep checking in with HNHH for the latest updates.