A judge dismissed lawsuits against rapper Drake in the Astroworld Festival tragedy.
The November 2021 concert resulted in the deaths of 10 attendees and injuries to hundreds more.
Drake, who joined headliner Travis Scott for a surprise performance, was named alongside Scott, festival promoter Live Nation and dozens of others in lawsuits filed by victims’ families. However, Drake’s lawyers successfully argued he wasn’t involved in organizing the event and, therefore, was not responsible.
According to their testimony, Drake was informed of the crowd’s deteriorating situation after taking the stage. He described the audience as a blur during his performance, unable to discern details.
This dismissal comes after a grand jury declined to press criminal charges against Scott and five others in June. However, a separate investigation by Houston Police revealed that the festival staff had expressed concerns about crowd control and potential safety hazards. Their nearly 1,300-page report was made public in July.
The 10 victims, ranging in age from 9 to 27, died from compression asphyxia, a condition compared to being crushed by a car.
While Drake is no longer part of the legal battle, the lawsuits against Scott, Live Nation and others are set to proceed.
Travis Scott’s attorneys argued that he should be dismissed from the hundreds of lawsuits against him over the tragedy. He also stated that he was not responsible for the safety plans during the concert.
Relatives of one of the 10 killed during the festival said Scott ignored safety concerns and threatened to release the personal information of anyone who would cancel the event over safety concerns online.
Some lawsuits filed by the families of the deceased and hundreds who were injured have been settled.
However, a lawsuit filed by one family [Dubiski] is set for May 6.