The family of 9-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest victim in the Astroworld tragedy, has declined Travis Scott’s offer to cover their funeral expenses.
“Your client’s offer is decline. I have no doubt Mr. Scott feels remorese. His journey ahead will be painful. He must face and hopefully see that he bears some of the responsibility for this tragedy,” Bob Hilliard, the Blount family’s lawyer, wrote in a letter obtained by Rolling Stone.
Hillard’s statement is in response to a letter from Scott’s attorney Daneil Petrocelli in which the offer was made.
“Travis is devastated by the tragedy that occurred at the Astroworld Festival and grieves for the families whose loved ones died or were injured,” Petrocelli wrote. “Travis is committed to doing his part to help the families who have suffered and begin the long process of healing in the Houston community. Toward that end, Travis would like to pay for the funeral expenses for Mr. Blount’s son.”
A funeral was held for Ezra on Nov. 23 in Texas.
Ezra died earlier this month after being placed in a medically-induced coma. He attended the event with his father Treston, who intentionally stayed towards the back to avoid potentially rowdy concertgoers. The two were swept up by the crowd surge, causing Treston to pass out. When he regained consciousness, the boy’s father was informed that Ezra had been trampled, and was taken to a hospital.
Ezra’s family has filed a gross negligence lawsuit against Scott, Cactus Jack Records, Live Nation, and promoter ScoreMore Management and claimed they “egregiously failed in their duty to protect the health, safety, and lives” of attendees. Their suit is just one of dozens that have been filed.
A $2 billion lawsuit was filed against Scott, Drake, Apple Music, Live Nation, and NRG Stadium, which was where the event was held, on behalf of the 282 victims who are represented by San Antonio-based attorney Thomas J. Henry.
“The defendants stood to make an exorbitant amount of money off of this event, and they still chose to cut corners, cut costs, and put attendees at risk,” Henry said. “My clients want to ensure the defendants are held responsible for their actions, and they want to send the message to all performers, event organizers, and promoters that what happened at Astroworld cannot happen again.”
