Travis Scott was questioned for several hours on Monday about the hundreds of lawsuits filed against him after the 2021 Astroworld festival, which left ten dead and thousands injured.
The testimony, which lasted nearly eight hours, was held in Houston, Texas, the Associated Press reported. This was the first time Scott (32) was questioned by lawyers about the festival.
Scott’s representative Ted Anastasiou told the newspaper: “Travis Scott’s firing is typical legal procedure. What is not typical is how the media continues to focus on him despite extensive government investigations, including the Houston Police Department, clearing him of any wrongdoing.”
He added: “Travis is fully cooperating with the legal process while remaining committed to touring in support of his record-breaking album, utopiaand his charitable efforts to support at-risk communities.”
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Scott’s representative had no further comment.
In June, a Texas grand jury convened to decide whether Scott and others who helped plan the event should be indicted. There were no criminal charges.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Scott’s attorney Kent Schaffer said, “Today’s decision by the Harris County District Attorney confirms what we’ve known all along — that Travis Scott is not responsible for the AstroWorld tragedy.”
“This is consistent with investigative reporting by numerous media outlets and federal and state government reports that squarely place the onus of event security crises on organizers, operators and performers — not the performers,” he said. “While patiently awaiting the District Attorney’s decision not to press charges, Travis Scott was falsely and wrongfully singled out, despite stopping the show three times and being unaware of the events as they unfolded. Now that this chapter is closed, we hope will focus the government’s efforts on what matters most – preventing future heartbreaking tragedies like Astroworld from ever happening again.”
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Scott’s rep did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
On November 5, 2021, more than 50,000 fans gathered to attend Scott’s Astroworld Festival in Houston. As Scott’s set began, many in the audience tried to rush the stage causing countless people to pass out or get trampled.
After the incident, Scott, in a statement on Twitternow known as X, said his “prayers go out to the families and all those affected by what happened at the Astroworld Festival.”
“The Houston Police Department has my full support as they continue to investigate this tragic loss of life,” he said. “I am committed to working with the Houston community to heal and support families in need.”
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Scott also thanked Houston police and firefighters, as well as NRG Park, where the festival was held, “for their immediate response and support” during the incident.
In his first interview since the tragedy in December 2021, Scott said he couldn’t hear any screams for help when the crowd started. He also said he stopped the show several times to ensure the safety of his fans.
Authorities said all ten victims died of accidental “compression asphyxia,” according to a report from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences obtained by PEOPLE.
The victims of the tragedy were Axel Acosta, Danish Baig, 27, Rodolfo “Rudy” Peña, 23, Madison Dubiski, 23, Franco Patiño, 21, Jacob Jurinek, 20, John Hilgert, 14, Brianna Rodriguez, 16, Bharti Shahani, 22, and Ezra Blount, 9.
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