Drake Questioned Over Deadly Astroworld Tragedy
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Astroworld lawyers deposed Drake on Thursday regarding the deadly Astroworld crowd, two sources confirm to Rolling Stone.
Drake was questioned for several hours in a deposition tied to hundreds of lawsuits filed in Harris County after the crowd rush, which killed 10 people and injured hundreds of others. The sources couldn’t comment further beyond confirming the deposition happened, due to a rigid publicity order that’s prevented them from speaking about the details of the case. When reached for comment, a rep for Drake said that “due to orders in the case, I don’t feel it is appropriate to comment on the matter.”
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Drake’s deposition comes after Travis Scott, who was initially deposed in September but spoke with attorneys again in early October after plaintiff attorneys filed an emergency motion to compel production of electronic documents on his cell phone.
A lawyer for Scott told the court in September that Scott’s phone was lost at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, but added that messages between Scott and his manager David Stromberg retrieved on Stromberg’s phone “would show the vast majority, if not all, relevant texts” from Scott regarding the event. During that hearing, the court and attorneys from both sides determined that Scott would have two more days of deposition during the first week of October.
Drake was named in many of the lawsuits alongside Scott, live music giant Live Nation and its subsidiary Scoremore, and Apple — which livestreamed the event — though he was only on stage for a few minutes toward the end of the show as a surprise guest to perform a few songs including “Sicko Mode.” In legal filings, Drake has maintained that he didn’t have any part in planning or organizing the event.
Several days after the tragedy, Drake issued a statement on his instagram, writing that “my heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering. I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can, May God be with you all.”
The disaster just passed its second anniversary over the weekend this past Sunday. Since the deadly crowd rush, the police issued a 1,200-page report detailing the chaotic scene leading up to the tragedy. A grand jury decided not to criminally charge Scott and several other organizers tied to the event. The families of the 10 people who died of asphyxia after the crowd rush all sued, although three have since settled. The first wrongful death suit is currently slated to go to trial in May of 2024.
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