Drake dismissed from Astroworld lawsuit following deadly 2021 music festival
Following his performance at the deadly Astroworld festival in 2021, Drake has been cleared from a lawsuit that centered the rapper's alleged involvement in the concert.
Drake, who filed a motion in March to be dismissed from a sprawling lawsuit on the music festival headed by fellow rapper Travis Scott, was removed from the complaint in a ruling Wednesday, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY Thursday.
The Harris County District Court of the 11th civil district granted Drake's request for a summary judgment in the case and dismissed "all claims asserted against defendant (Drake) by all plaintiffs and intervenors in this multidistrict litigation," per the filing.
Other defendants in the case, including Apple and Scott's company Cactus Jack Enterprises, had their requests for dismissal denied in court Monday, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. Apple Music was tapped to stream Scott's performance at the Astroworld festival, which took place in Houston, Texas.
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Drake for comment.
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In a March 8 motion, attorneys for Drake reportedly argued that the "Slime You Out" emcee had no involvement in the music festival's planning and was not made aware of any safety concerns for attendees before his performance, according to Billboard and the Houston Chronicle.
"Mr. Graham did not receive any security briefings, was not informed of any crowd control issues, injuries or deaths in the crowd, or any stop show orders at any time either before or during his 14-minute performance," Drake’s attorneys wrote at the time, per Billboard.
Drake calls Astroworld festival a 'devastating tragedy'
Drake, who made a surprise appearance with Scott at the Astroworld festival, released a statement days after the concert, calling the event a "devastating tragedy." The rapper said on Instagram that he'd "spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this."
"I hate resorting to this platform to express an emotion as delicate as grief but this is where I find myself," Drake wrote. "My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering."
"I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can," he concluded in his statement. "May God be with you all."
Other performers who took the stage at Astroworld included SZA, Roddy Ricch, Toro y Moi and Master P.
Astroworld reactions: Toro Y Moi, Roddy Ricch donate festival earnings to victims; Drake speaks out after deaths
Travis Scott cleared of criminal charges in Astroworld concert
In June 2023, Scott was cleared of criminal charges over his Astroworld concert that left nearly a dozen concertgoers dead and hundreds injured, his lawyer confirmed to USA TODAY at the time.
At a subsequent press conference, Kim Ogg, the district attorney of Harris County, Texas, confirmed that a grand jury reviewed the case and found that "no crime did occur" and "no single individual was criminally responsible."
"Today’s decision by the Harris County District Attorney confirms what we have known all along ? that Travis Scott is not responsible for the Astroworld tragedy," attorney Kent Schaffer said. "This is consistent with investigative reporting by numerous media outlets and federal and state government reports that have squarely placed the onus for event safety crises on organizers, operators and contractors ? not performers."
Astroworld legal battles: Travis Scott will not face criminal charges over Astroworld concert that left 10 dead
On Nov. 5, 2021, an overflow crowd of 50,000 people descended on the Houston event helmed by Scott. Fences were overrun, and security was overwhelmed. In all, 10 concertgoers lost their lives, succumbing to asphyxiation, while 25 were hospitalized and 300 others were treated for injuries at the site. Those who died ranged in age from 9 to 27 years old.
Scott was named in at least 14 personal injury lawsuits in the days following the festival, with attendees alleging negligence and gross negligence. More than 500 lawsuits have been filed since the deadly concert.
Contributing: Elise Brisco, Charles Trepany, John Bacon, Hannah Yasharoff and Rasha Ali, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drake dismissed from Astroworld lawsuit, judge rules