Astroworld tragedy: Drake removed from all Astroworld lawsuits
HOUSTON - Well-known musician, Drake, has been removed from all Astroworld lawsuits following a motion heard in Harris County.
According to the judgment, a judge granted a motion for summary judgment, and all claims were dismissed.
COMPLETE COVERAGE: The Astroworld Tragedy
As you may recall, Drake was named a defendant in some lawsuits following the deadly tragedy at NRG Park back in 2021.
It was alleged that numerous people in the crowd were crushed because Drake took the stage with rapper Travis Scott. It was believed that the move incited the crowd.
The families of the 10 people who died during the concert, as well as hundreds who were injured, sued Drake, Scott and Live Nation — the festival’s promoter — as well as dozens of other individuals and entities.
Scott filed a motion to drop the Astroworld lawsuits against him. However, District Judge Kristen Hawkins denied motions to dismiss that were filed by 10 other companies and individuals, including Apple, Inc, which produced a livestream of the concert, and two companies associated with Scott.
In June 2023, a Harris County grand jury decided no criminal charges would be filed against Scott and several others named in the case.
In July, Houston police made its investigative report public, which was nearly 1,300 pages, in which festival workers highlighted problems and warned of possible deadly consequences.
Those killed, who ranged in age from 9 to 27, died from compression asphyxia, which an expert likened to being crushed by a car.
Some of the lawsuits have since been settled, including those filed by the families of four of the people killed during the concert. The most recent settlement related to a person who was killed was announced in court filings on Feb. 5, with lawyers for the family of 23-year-old Rodolfo "Rudy" Peña saying they had settled their case.
The first trial from the lawsuits is scheduled for May 6.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.