Travis Scott was questioned for several hours earlier this week as part of a deposition relating to the 2021 Astroworld tragedy. According to the Associated Press, Scott answered questions under oath on Monday during an eight hour session in Houston.
Ten people died and hundreds more were injured in a crowd surge that occurred during Scott's headline set at the 2021 edition of the Houston-based festival he founded.
Following an extensive police investigation into the incident, in June this year a grand jury concluded that there were no grounds for pursuing criminal charges against Scott or anyone else involved in organising the festival.
However, hundreds of lawsuits were also filed following the tragedy, including by the families of those who died. Various defendants are named in those lawsuits, though most prominent are Scott himself and the promoters of Astroworld, Live Nation and its Scoremore subsidiary.
Three of the families of those killed in the crowd surge have now settled their lawsuits, but hundreds more continue to go through the motions. Hence this week's deposition involving Scott.
There is a wide-ranging gagging order in relation to all the Astroworld litigation, limiting what those involved in the lawsuits can say in public, although a spokesperson for the rapper has confirmed that the deposition took place.
That spokesperson, Ted Anastasiou, also noted that such depositions are pretty routine and then referenced the conclusion of the grand jury back in June.
He is quoted by the AP as saying: “Travis Scott’s deposition is typical legal procedure. What is not typical is how the media continues to focus on him despite being cleared of any wrongdoing by extensive government investigations, including by the Houston Police Department".
“Travis is fully cooperating with the legal process", Anastasiou added, "while still remaining committed to his tour in support of his record-breaking album ‘Utopia,’ and his charitable efforts to support at-risk communities".
JUAN A. LOZANO