Travis Scott has been seen out for the first time since the Astroworld tragedy earlier this month.
On Nov. 5, 10 people were killed during a crowd surge that occurred during Scott’s headlining performance at NRG Park in Houston. The tragic event left hundreds of other concertgoers injured.
Video footage and several witness testimonies shared by attendees of the annual event — which was produced by Scott — showed numerous fans appearing to be crushed and trampled by one another in the crowd.
Sources close to Scott — who continued to play on for a reported 37 minutes after the show was declared a mass casualty incident — have maintained that he only found out about the severity of the situation “hours and hours after the concert.”
Scott issued his first statement addressing the tragedy Nov. 6, writing that he was “absolutely devastated” by the events that had taken place, before pledging a commitment to helping “heal and support the families in need.”
He went on to post a video of himself to his Instagram story, saying directly to the camera, “I just wanna send out prayers to the [lives] that were lost last night. We're actually working right now to identify the families so we can help assist them through this tough time.”
Travis Scott takes to his Instagram story to address the tragedy at last night’s Astroworld Festival.
Ever since releasing his statements, Scott — who has been named in several lawsuits citing “negligence” and “encouragement of violence” — has remained silent on social media and out of the public eye, reportedly staying put in Houston with partner Kylie Jenner, who was also at the festival.
However, this week, Scott made his first public appearance since the horrific event.
On Nov. 23, Scott was photographed out on a golf trip with several A-list celebrities in Southern California, ahead of Thanksgiving weekend.
In a series of photos shared on Twitter, Scott was seen with Mark Wahlberg, Michael Jordan, Kris Jenner’s boyfriend Corey Gamble, and actor Said Taghmaoui.
According to reports, Scott had traveled to Southern California to spend the holidays with his family and Jenner, presumably after having resided in his Houston home since the tragedy.
Scott’s first public outing comes just days after he was named in a new lawsuit, this one filed by two security guards who were working at Astroworld. Both are reportedly seeking over $1 million in damages.
According to multiple outlets, Samuel and Jackson Bush, an uncle and nephew who worked together at the festival, told reporters during a press conference Nov. 22 that they were both severely injured while helping attendees in the crowd.
Samuel claimed he was trampled multiple times, causing him to break his hand and hurt his back. According to TMZ, Jackson — who said he’d damaged his shoulder — claimed he witnessed CPR being performed on several lifeless bodies and also pulled a person out from beneath a large crowd who ended up dying.
In addition to Scott and his label, Cactus Jack Records, Samuel and Jackson named several corporations in their lawsuit, including Live Nation and ScoreMore, the venue NRG Park, and several security companies connected to the tragedy.
“For the most part, [the security companies] told us where to stand, not to let people run in, and to be safe and not to put our hands on anybody,” Jackson reportedly said during a press conference. “There was no training.”
Last week, Scott was named in two huge lawsuits filed on behalf of hundreds of victims, bringing the total cost of damages to over $2.75 billion.
On Nov. 16, a $750 million suit was filed against Scott — and various connected companies, like Cactus Jack Records and Live Nation — on behalf of 125 victims, including the family of one man who died at the festival, Axel Acosta.
Just days later, Scott — along with fellow artist Drake, Live Nation, NRG Stadium, and others — was named in a suit seeking $2 billion in damages, filed by attorney Thomas Henry on behalf of over 200 alleged victims.
In light of the several lawsuits, Scott’s first outing on a golf trip has elicited a negative response from fans. Many have criticized the rapper for his casual public appearance despite the ongoing controversy, and accused him of acting “like nothing happened.”
One person noted that they’ve been “waiting for him to give explanations on his behavior in the clips” — seemingly referring to fan footage in which Scott appeared to encourage the crowd to participate in mosh pits and crowdsurfing.
Meanwhile, Jenner has also received backlash for her response to the tragedy. She attended the concert with her sister Kendall Jenner and 3-year-old daughter, Stormi, whom she shares with Scott. According to reports and fan footage, the three were safely seated in a VIP section and were escorted out when the horrific events were unfolding.
Jenner shared footage from Scott’s performance at the festival to her Instagram story throughout the night. The videos were still visible on her account for hours after news of the fatalities emerged, leading to harsh criticism from fans.
One clip shared by Jenner that attracted particular criticism showed an ambulance attempting to move through the crowd. Like her other videos, it was left live on her story long after the event.
I want to remind you that you can see the ambulance on Kylie Jenners Instagram story from the Travis Scott concert and despite the news has not been taken down #AstroWorld
On Nov. 7, Jenner issued a statement on Instagram addressing the incident for the first time. Seemingly alluding to the video she’d shared of the ambulance, the 24-year-old maintained that she and Scott had not been aware of the fatalities until the news surfaced after the show.
Jenner’s brief public response was widely criticized by fans and social media users, many of whom labeled her “insincere” and accused her of “trying to save face.”
For weeks following her poorly received statements, Jenner remained silent on social media. Aside from a short promotional video shared by Kendall’s and her fashion brand — which also caused controversy — there was no sign of the beauty mogul on the platform.
However, Jenner returned to Instagram days ago, sharing her first story in over two weeks.
On Nov. 22, Jenner posted a short but sweet message to her friend Hailey Bieber, wishing her a happy birthday. “Happy birthday @HaileyBieber,” she wrote. “You are such a beautiful person inside and out. We love you lots.”
Meanwhile, in the wake of the controversy, several brands have declined to work with both Scott and Jenner.
On Nov. 16, Nike shared its decision to postpone the release of a sneaker collaboration with Scott “out of respect for everyone impacted by the tragic events at the Astroworld Festival.”
And the following day, W Magazine disclosed that it has decided against digitally promoting an upcoming edition that features both Scott and Jenner on its cover, along with a new joint interview.
On Nov. 17, a spokesperson for the magazine told BuzzFeed News that the cover was shot and printed before the Astroworld tragedy and would no longer be posted online by the outlet.
As a result, fans have largely praised both Nike and W Magazine for refusing to collaborate with Scott and Jenner out of respect for the victims of the tragedy.
