Drake issues statement after Astroworld tragedy: “My heart is broken”
The rapper appeared on stage with Travis Scott at the festival on Friday, where a crush left eight people dead
Drake has released his first statement since the tragedy at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival in Houston last week (November 5), where a crowd crush killed eight people and injured hundreds more.
It was revealed this week that the two rappers and Live Nation are being sued after the music festival tragedy in a complaint filed by festival goer Kristian Paredes, 23, who accuses the rappers and event organisers of negligence and “inciting the crowd”, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The complaint also states that Drake “came on stage alongside Travis Scott and helped incite the crowd”.
It added that Drake continued to perform with Scott “as the crowd became out of control” and “crowd mayhem continued”.
“I’ve spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy,” Drake wrote in his statement. “I hate resorting to this platform to express an emotion as delicate as grief but this is where I find myself.
“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, May God be with you all.”
See Drake’s full statement on Instagram here.
In his own statement shared on Saturday (November 6), Scott, who is set to refund all Astroworld ticket holders and has cancelled a show this weekend (November 13) in Las Vegas, said: “I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night.
“My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival.”
It’s also been revealed that a nine-year-old boy is in a medically-induced coma after sustaining “life-threatening injuries” during Scott’s set.
Lawyer Ben Crump said Ezra Blount was “trampled” during the set, adding: “The suffering that this family is going through is immeasurable. This little boy had his whole life ahead of him – a life that is currently hanging in the balance because of the reckless mismanagement that ensued at the Astroworld Festival.”