Travis Scott and Live Nation sued by family of nine-year-old Astroworld attendee now in induced coma

The family of Ezra Blount, the nine-year-old boy who’s currently in a medically induced coma after sustaining injuries at Astroworld, is suing Travis Scott and festival promoter Live Nation.

Ezra was one of hundreds injured by a crowd surge during the rapper’s set at his Houston festival on Friday (November 5). Eight people died as a result of the incident.

The child’s family is now seeking $1million in damages as outlined in a lawsuit that alleges Scott and the event’s organisers failed to stop the performance for at least 40 minutes after the surge.

“During the concert, (Ezra), a 9-year-old minor child, was suddenly forced to watch in terror as several concertgoers were injured and killed as a result of the crowd surge,” the suit, obtained by Rolling Stone, claims.

“He is currently in an induced coma on life support and has severe liver, kidney and brain damage. To his young, growing body, these injuries will have life-long effects, impairing his quality of life and ability to grow and thrive.”

The suit also names event producer ScoreMore Management and its president Sascha Stone Guttfreund as well Scott’s label Cactus Jack Records as defendants.

Blount’s attorney, Ben Crump, said in a press statement that Ezra “and his family will face life-altering trauma from this day forward, a reality that nobody expects when they buy concert tickets.

“Concerts and music festivals such as this are meant to be a safe place for people of all ages to enjoy music in a controlled environment. None of that was true about the Astroworld Festival. This little boy is currently fighting for his life, and his parents will never know the same child they entered Astroworld with.”

A GoFundMe page has been made to support Ezra and his family. At the time of writing, $34,424 (£25,393) has been raised.

Crump is also representing other victims who have filed lawsuits against Scott and Live Nation, with the total number of lawsuits relating to the incident having continued to grow throughout the past few days. Complex has reported that as of Tuesday (November 9) afternoon, the total number of Astroworld-related lawsuits filed through the Harris County District Clerk has reached 35.

While Scott has yet to publicly comment on the lawsuits, he has previously said he is “devastated” by the incident and that he’s co-operating with authorities and “committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”

In a previous statement provided to ABC News, Live Nation said it will continue to “support and assist local authorities in their ongoing investigation” and will “address all legal matters at the appropriate time”.

To assist with legal proceedings, Harris County District Judge Ravi K. Sandill has issued a freeze order that will allow attorneys to inspect the festival site, NRG Park, while also requiring organisers to preserve that evidence. Billboard reports that this order, which was issued on Monday (November 8), will apply to at least 18 separate lawsuits that have been filed so far.

Yesterday, the City of Houston named the eight people who lost their lives at Astroworld, who were aged between 14 and 27. Some festival attendees have since returned to NRG Park, creating a memorial to mourn the deceased.

Live Nation previously announced that it is developing a fund to pay the medical fees of those who were injured, while Scott has said he will cover funeral costs for all victims, as well as offer free therapy sessions to those who were at the event.

In the wake of the Astroworld tragedy, conspiracy videos have proliferated on TikTok suggesting demonic symbolism was to blame for the deaths at the festival. The video-sharing platform has since said that it is in the process of removing the content, which “is in violation of our Community Guidelines”.

The post Travis Scott and Live Nation sued by family of nine-year-old Astroworld attendee now in induced coma appeared first on NME.

Link to the source article – https://www.nme.com/news/music/travis-scott-and-live-nation-sued-by-family-of-nine-year-old-astroworld-attendee-now-in-induced-coma-3091674?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=travis-scott-and-live-nation-sued-by-family-of-nine-year-old-astroworld-attendee-now-in-induced-coma

Recommended for you