As Astroworld Festival lawsuits continue to pile on, Travis Scott has secured himself a high-powered attorney with noteworthy affiliations.
According to an article from the Houston Chronicle, published on Tuesday (Nov. 30), Travis has hired Daniel Petrocelli, the lawyer who once defended Donald Trump, to represent the rapper against his mounting Astroworld Festival lawsuits.
XXL confirmed this week that Petrocelli is Travis Scott's legal counsel for the lawsuits in connection to the mass casualty at Astroworld.
La Flame’s new attorney is head of litigation for the Los Angeles-based law firm O’Melveny & Myers and is known for representing high-profile clients. In 2016, Petrocelli was hired to defend then-presidential candidate Donald Trump against fraud lawsuits filed over the now-defunct Trump University real estate seminars. A $25 million settlement agreement was reached in that case.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Petrocelli sent out an email to the lawyers representing the families of the 10 deceased Astroworld victims on Travis Scott's behalf on Nov. 24, extending an offer to pay for the funeral costs of those individuals. The family of 9-year-old Ezra Blount, who was laid to rest on Nov. 23 in Texas, rejected the offer.
"Your client’s offer is declined. I have no doubt Mr. Scott feels remorse. His journey ahead will be painful. He must face and hopefully see that he bears some of the responsibility for this tragedy," wrote Bob Hilliard, the attorney representing Ezra's family, in a legal document obtained by XXL.
Additionally, the families of 27-year-old Danish Baig and 14-year-old John Hilgert, who both died following the Astroworld Festival event, also turned down Travis’ offer to cover their deceased loved one's burial costs.
According to a Billboard report on Wednesday (Dec. 1), over 250 lawsuits have been filed against Travis, Live Nation and other defendants affiliated with the 2021 Astroworld Festival. As of yesterday, the cases represent over 850 people. The total damages have reached an excess of $3 billion. The complaints accuse Travis, Live Nation and others of gross negligence by allegedly creating an environment that incited thousands of people to surge near the stage, which crushed concertgoers in front.
Travis Scott has reportedly hired Houston criminal defense attorney Kent Schaffer to represent him as well.
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