A Houston judge has denied Travis Scott's motion to be dismissed from a jury trial in the billion-dollar civil litigation over the November 2021 fatal crowd crush at Astroworld that killed 10 people and injured hundreds more, Billboard reports.
While the rapper's attorneys argued that he himself could not be held legally liable for the Astroworld music festival tragedy, as security and safety at live events is "not the job of performing artists," judge Kristen Hawkins ruled yesterday (April 24) that Scott must face the first jury trial in the multi-lawsuit case, set to begin next month.
Over 2,500 people have sued over Astroworld, claiming that Scott, Live Nation, and other organizers were negligent. New documents obtained by Houston Landing last month revealed that event organizers miscalculated a state fire code and oversold the festival.
Scott was deposed last fall and questioned for nearly eight hours following a grand jury decision (after a 19-month investigation) that the performer would not face criminal charges. Drake, who made a guest appearance during the performance, was also questioned for several hours before being dropped from the Astroworld lawsuits earlier this month.
The first trial in the lawsuits, which have been combined into one single large action in Texas state court, is a wrongful death case filed by the family of 23-year-old Madison Dubiski. It's scheduled to begin on May 6.
