Families of two Astroworld victims become first to settle lawsuits

The families of two Astroworld victims have settled their lawsuits against Travis Scott and several other parties, according to Complex and The Houston Chronicle.

The lawsuits are some of the first to reach a settlement out of "hundreds" filed following the deadly crowd crush at Astroworld Festival in November 2021.

One of the lawsuits, from the family of 21-year-old Axel Acosta who died during the tragedy, was settled privately.

In a statement issued to Complex by the family’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, he confirmed: “the claims brought by the family of Axel Acosta against Travis Scott, Live Nation, and others involved in the Astroworld tragedy have settled.

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“The terms are confidential. Victim Axel Acosta was a beloved son, brother, and student. He was kind and loving. He is greatly missed. Please keep his family in your prayers,” he added.

The Houston Chronicle also confirmed that the family of 16-year-old Brianna Rodriguez also settled an ongoing lawsuit. The details remain confidential.

Tony Buzbee, the lawyer working on behalf of 125 people who attended Astroworld Festival and subsequently filed lawsuits for damages, is seeking a total of $750 million (£663,453) between all 125 clients.

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Travis Scott faced nearly 300 civil lawsuits following the tragedy, which happened in November last year and saw 10 attendees lose their life following a crowd crush during Scott’s performance.

In December, Scott filed a dismissal of all 275 cases stacked against him. Scott claimed a “general denial” which, in legal terms, suggests the defendant takes no claim of the situation.

Security guards who worked at the event were also among those filing lawsuits. In May this year, one attendee filed a suit against Scott, Live Nation, and ScoreMore for the death of her unborn baby.

Scott now faces charges in the billions. In December, Brent Coon & Associates filed a $10 billion lawsuit on behalf of the victims.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter