On Thursday (Oct. 20), Travis Scott settled the first of many lawsuits with one of the victims of the Astroworld tragedy that left 10 people dead, according to TMZ.
Scott settled out of court with the family of Axel Acosta, a 21-year-old computer science major at Western Washington University, who lost his life at the Astroworld Festival in NRG Park on Nov. 5, 2021. Acosta died of compressive asphyxiation during a fatal crowd crush toward the stage at the show. He traveled all the way from Washington to Houston to see the rapper perform. The amount of the settlement has not been disclosed, but TMZ reported that a source connected to the case said that Live Nation is paying up in this settlement.
“The Buzbee Law Firm announced today that the claims brought by the family of Axel Acosta against Travis Scott, Live Nation, and others involved in the Astroworld tragedy have settled,” attorney Tony Buzzbee said in a statement on Facebook. “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.”
Buzbee is representing over 120 victims seeking damages for loss of mental and physical health and loss of human life against defendants including Scott, Drake, event organizers Live Nation, Apple, Epic Records and the Harris County Sports and Convention Corp. A $750 million lawsuit was filed. Although 10 people were killed, over 200 participants were injured including a nine-year-old kid and a woman who allegedly suffered a miscarriage as a result of the incident. In December, Scott did attempt to have all of the lawsuits filed against him dismissed.
There was an estimated 50,000 people that attended the third annual Astroworld Festival.