Five More Families Settle Lawsuits Against Travis Scott, Live Nation Over Astroworld Tragedy
Five more wrongful death lawsuits filed against Travis Scott, Live Nation, and others following the deadly crowd surge at the 2021 Astroworld tragedy have been settled, including one that was going to trial this week, reports the Associated Press. Terms of the various settlements were confidential and attorneys declined to comment after the most recent court hearing because of a gag order in the case.
Jury selection in the wrongful death suit for Madison Dubiski, a 23-year-old Houston resident who died from compression asphyxia in the Astroworld crowd crush, was set to begin on Tuesday. During a court hearing on Wednesday, however, Noah Wexler, an attorney for Dubiski’s family, confirmed that their case “is resolved in its entirety.” No other details were shared. To honor their late daughter, Dubiski’s family started the foundation Pink Bows, which focuses on improving safety measures at outdoor concerts and other events.
“Mr. Scott is grateful that a resolution has been reached without the need for a trial,” Ted Anastasiou, a representative for the rapper, said in a statement. “The confidential agreement will honor Madison Dubiski’s legacy and promote improvements for concert safety.”
One wrongful death lawsuit against Scott, Live Nation, Apple, and additional parties is still pending, which was filed by the family of nine-year-old Ezra Blount. “As the youngest victim, Ezra’s terror must have been unimaginable as the crowd surge ripped him from the safety of his father’s shoulders and then crushed and suffocated the life out of his small body,” said Bob Hilliard, an attorney for Blount’s family. Attorneys were set to meet next week to discuss when Blount’s lawsuit could be scheduled for trial, but Live Nation attorney Neal Manne said he and other defendants’ lawyers weren’t ready. If the Blount family’s lawsuit is not settled, State District Judge Kristen Hawkins said she will schedule it as the next trial instead of an injury case.
Dubiski’s family is the ninth bereaved party to settle a lawsuit over the crowd crush at NRG Park on November 6, 2021, which resulted in ten deaths and thousands of injuries. The families of Axel Acosta and Brianna Rodriguez, two other Astroworld attendees who died, previously settled their own suits in October 2022, while the family of the late 14-year-old boy John Hilgert settled their wrongful death lawsuit in August of last year. Over 4,000 plaintiffs filed lawsuits after the concert, and roughly 2,400 injury cases remain pending.
In July 2023, the Houston Police Department released a 1,266-page report on the Astroworld tragedy that included interviews with Scott, Drake, and concert attendees affected by the crowd crush, which happened while Scott was performing onstage. In the report, Scott recalled being told through his earpiece, “You got to wrap it up, it’s getting kinda hectic out there,” but stated that he was not made aware of the gravity of the situation until later.
Last June, Reuters reported that Scott would not be charged criminally in connection with the event, a decision made by a Harris County grand jury after a 19-month investigation. Scott and Live Nation still face multiple civil suits over Astroworld.
