Megan Thee Stallion has canceled a Houston show originally set to take place later this week, saying in a statement that the decision was made “out of respect” for those who died at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival.
The gig was originally slated for this Friday at 713 Music Hall. Per the venue’s website, the next scheduled concert is now Chelsea Handler’s Vaccinated and Horny Tour on Dec. 10, followed by Tobe Nwigwe.
“Out of respect for the lives lost in Houston earlier this month, I have decided to cancel my show at 713 Music Hall on Dec 3,” Megan said in a statement first shared with the Houston Chronicle. “Houston is still healing and it’s important that our community be given the appropriate time to grieve. My heart goes out to all the families that are suffering during this difficult time.”
This year’s Astroworld Festival was cut short after multiple attendees died, including eight people on the night of Nov. 5 and two more in subsequent days. The youngest victim was 9-year-old Ezra Blount. Multiple lawsuits have been filed in connection with the festival, including a $2 billion suit that names multiple parties including Travis Scott and Live Nation.
More recently, it’s been reported that multiple victims’ families have turned down Scott’s offer to cover funeral expenses. Meanwhile, Scott’s spokesperson (and former Baltimore mayor) Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has said any argument positing that the Utopia artist could have stopped the show is “ludicrous.” In a recent Gayle King interview, Rawlings-Blake also said that while Scott isn’t responsible for what happened, he “wants to be responsible for the solution.”
