As lawsuits continue to pile on, Travis Scott has secured himself a high-powered attorney.
According to an article from the Houston Chronicle, published on Nov. 30, Travis has hired a lawyer who once defended Donald Trump to represent him against the Astroworld Festival lawsuits.
LaFlame’s new attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, 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, on behalf of Travis Scott, emailed on Nov. 24 an offer to pay for the funeral costs to the lawyers representing the families of the 10 Astroworld victims. 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 Erza'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 tragedy, also turned down Travis’ offer to cover their deceased loved one's burial costs.
As it stands, over 120 lawsuits from 600 plaintiffs have been filed against Travis, Live Nation and other defendants affiliated with the 2021 Astroworld Festival. The total damages has 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 of them.
Travis Scott also has hired Houston criminal defense attorney Kent Schaffer to represent him as well.