Drakeo The Ruler’s Family Files $20 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Festival Promotors
Update: 5:30 p.m. ET (Feb. 16, 2022) – Darrylene Corniel, the mother of late rapper Drakeo the Ruler, his brother Devante Caldwell (a.k.a. Ralfy the Plug), are no longer involved in the $20 million wrongful death lawsuit being brought against Live Nation, Bobby Dee Presents, and C3, and are not being represented by attorney James Bryant, according to a family rep. They have not begun any other legal proceedings of their own at the time. The initial lawsuit, brought by Tianna Purtue on behalf of Caiden Caldwel, who continues to be represented by Bryant, is currently ongoing.
The family of late rapper Drakeo the Ruler has officially filed a lawsuit against the organizers of the Once Upon a Time in LA music festival, where Drakeo was murdered after sustaining a fatal stab wound to the neck. The suit, which accuses the organizers of the festival of wrongful death and negligence, was filed on Thursday (Jan. 27).
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“How did these people get through? How did these people get access, backstage, to an artist?” Tianna Purdue, the mother of Drakeo’s 5-year-old son, said at a news conference announcing the filing of the lawsuit. “Where was anyone? Where was anyone there to help him?”
James Bryant, the family’s attorney, also spoke at the news conference, placing the blame of Drakeo’s death at the feet of the festival promotors’ lack of security measures. “Mr. Caldwell was lynched by 40 to 60 people,” Bryant noted. “This would never have happened if those promoters had the proper security protocol. The world lost an amazing artist, a beautiful human being, a father.”
The family’s lawsuit comes a little over a month after Drakeo’s mother, Darrylene Corniel, revealed her plans to hold those who contributed to her son’s death accountable by filing suit. “This happened backstage at an event,” said Corniel at the time. “Someone has to be held accountable. They let all these people in, and you’re not supposed to have all these people backstage. And your security is supposed to be in place. The whole program should have been orchestrated a lot better than what it was. And there should have been more protection. Even if you have metal detectors, even if you pat them down, you let those people come in there. You had more people come in than you were supposed to. And you allowed them to jump my son. You didn’t protect my son.”
