Travis Scott received warnings to stop his 2021 Astroworld Festival early but continued because didn’t know it was an emergency, according to a report. Travis’ attorney says cops waited to release findings from the 18-month investigation to sabotage his Utopia album.
Source: Alexander Tamargo / Getty
Jesus, take the wheel! The canceled Live At The Pyramids concert isn’t the only Utopia setback. Houston PD finally released their investigative report into his Astroworld Festival that left 10 dead. The 1,266-page report includes an interview with the “Meltdown” rapper days after the tragedy. TMZ reports Travis told cops he didn’t stop the show during Drake’s set because he wasn’t told how dangerous the situation was.
ion think he understands how much dat Astroworld tragedy is gonna hold him back lmao like no way u thought u was finna perform on da pyramids after da most deadly concert on US soil https://t.co/B8BzT7nrOk
— 🎲BJ LAFLARE🎲 (@LAFLAREORDIE) July 26, 2023
According to the report, Travis told police he did monitor the crowd as best he could. He said he saw flashing lights in the distance and checked the crowd by asking fans to put their middle fingers up if they were alright. When he saw a wave of fans respond, he assumed everything was fine to keep going.
NEW: The Houston Police Department released its complete investigation of the Travis Scott Astroworld concert, where 10 fans died and hundreds of others were injured in November 2021. 🧵👇https://t.co/oJPtcwUwHR
— Houston Landing (@Hou_Landing) July 28, 2023
From an elevated platform, Travis said he noticed someone getting medical attention. He also asked fans to back up so medics could reach someone who appeared to be in distress. After that, the Houston native said there wasn’t “high commotion” in the audience. He got in the zone and went into a “trance” while performing.
Houston PD’s report claims security tried to convince Travis’ team to stop the show, but they said Drake needed to finish his set. Someone warned Travis in his earpiece, but they didn’t tell him it was life or death.
“Yo, this is gonna have to be like the last song,” the report says Travis relayed to police.
“Yo Trav, you got to wrap it up, it’s getting kinda hectic out there,” they continued.
When Travis stepped offstage, he heard reports of multiple people needing CPR. He reportedly didn’t learn about the dozens of injuries and multiple fatalities until he got home at 2 or 3 a.m. The report claims he was worried about the victims as he talked to police about the incident.
See Travis Scott’s attorney response disputing the Astroworld report as an attempt to hurt Utopia sales after the flip.
Travis Scott’s Attorney Disputes Houston PD’s Astroworld Report, Accuses Them Of Releasing The Same Day As Utopia To Hurt Sales
Source: Jason Koerner / Getty
Houston PD claims releasing the report on Friday, during the highly anticipated Utopia launch, was “a coincidence.” Travis’ attorney Kent Schaffer isn’t buying it. He told TMZ that law enforcement wanted to sabotage sales and make themselves look better after Travis avoided a criminal case.
Travis Scott’s attorney claims Houston police intentionally released their 1,266-page report on the Astroworld tragedy on Friday, the same day his album dropped, to hurt sales.
Houston police respond saying it is simply a “coincidence.” pic.twitter.com/LgOeZBZXl4
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 29, 2023
As BOSSIP previously reported, a Texas grand jury declined to criminally charge Travis for the tragedy last month. A representative for the 32-year-old said the blame for event safety crises falls on ” organizers, operators and contractors — not performers.”
“Travis Scott has been inaccurately and wrongly singled out, despite stopping the show three separate times and being unaware of the events as they were unfolding Now that this chapter is closed, we hope for the government efforts to focus on what is most important – stopping future heartbreaking tragedies like Astroworld from ever occurring again,” the statement continued.
Schaffer also disputes investigation findings that all the injuries occurred a half hour before Drake even took the stage. He says no one alerted Travis about this, but police had the power to shut down the concert if they wanted.
Source: Jason Koerner / Getty
The lawyer clarified that Travis followed the orders in his earpiece, and that’s why the grand jury refused to indict him. Although he may be off the hook for criminal charges, the “Sicko Mode” star still faces multiple lawsuits from victims and their families.
The family of a child who died at the Astroworld Festival called the report a heartbreaking reminder. They still plan to fight for justice, even if a lawsuit is their only option.
“The release of this report only reminds the family about the terror, the devastation and the horror which took away their child. The feelings are mixed between sadness, anger and determination to continue pursuing justice regardless of whether it’s in a criminal courthouse or a civil courthouse,” the family’s attorney said.
