Houston police timed the release of their probe into a deadly crowd crush at Travis Scott’s Astroworld music festival to scuttle sales of his new album, his lawyer contends.
The record producer and rapper’s latest disc, “Utopia,” came out Friday, and authorities were well aware of the highly publicized album’s release when they issued the results of their 18-month investigation into the 10 deaths at the 2021 Astroworld event, attorney Kent Schaffer told TMZ.
The timing of the 1,266-page report on the Astroworld deaths was “a coincidence,” Houston police said.
A grand jury refused to indict the rapper last month on criminal charges related to the festival, although Scott is still facing several lawsuits from victims and families of victims.
Scott has stated on social media that he is “devastated” by the tragedy, but has requested lawsuits against him personally be dismissed.
The victims, including a nine-year-old boy, were killed in the stampede at the festival at NRG Park in Houston, and an additional 300 people were treated at a field hospital during the event.
Scott previously claimed he had no idea that multiple fans were being trampled on and passing out in the crowd while he performed at the November 2021 event.
Fan-captured footage shows Scott noticing an ambulance in the crowd, pointing at it and asking, “What the f – – k is that?”
“If everybody good, put a middle finger up to the sky,” he instructed the crowd after two crew members came onstage to talk to Scott.
The rapper then resumed the show.
Scott had told police that he stopped the show after another performer, Drake, left the stage, when he was given instructions to do so in his earpiece. Schaffer said that he followed all instructions from authorities, which is why the rapper was not charged with a crime, he told TMZ.
