In the days after this month’s Astroworld Festival tragedy, Travis Scott put out a statement in which he offered to pay for the funeral expenses for the ten people who died during the event. This came before lawsuits began to mount against Scott and Astroworld organizers, with one of the latest ones amounting to $750 million from over 125 Astroworld attendees. On Monday, it was reported that the family of nine-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest victim in the tragedy, declined Scott’s offer to pay for funeral expenses. Turns out Blount’s family was not the only one to do so.
According to Rolling Stone, three additional families also denied Scott’s offer through their lawyers. Philip Corboy, who represents the families of 21-year-old friends Jacob Jurinek and Franco Patino; Tony Buzbee, the lawyer for the family of 21-year-old Axel Acosta; and Richard Mithoff, who represents the family of 14-year-old John Hilgert, each expressed distaste for Scott’s offer in separate statements.
Corboy said he held discussions with the Jurinek and Patino families about Scott’s offer and they “realized quickly that all he was trying to do was trying to lessen the public outcry on his case.” He added, “It took them each about three seconds to say ‘No, no no.’” Corboy continued, “If he’s trying to impress upon the families that he’s sincere and has concern for them and realize that funerals can be expensive, what Scott’s team did is not the way to do it.” He concluded, “You don’t get a piece of paper in the mail from a lawyer in Beverly Hills who says he represents Travis Scott. These families are raw right now; that lacks any personal touch.”
Mithoff also spoke on behalf of the Hilgerts. “It was not an offer they were going to seriously consider,” he said. “Of all the things this case is about, that’s the least of any concern. This family is set on making change and ensuring this never happens at a concert again. I find offering to pay for funerals frankly demeaning and really inappropriate to the magnitude of the tragedy that unfolded.”
Buzbee says he received a call from a local attorney but went against returning the call. “It’s bullsh*t,” he said. “If you gave a sh*t about these families, you wouldn’t have to put out a press release for everyone to see saying he’s willing to pay for a funeral.” He continued, “Let the families grieve and shut up, that’s it. When something like this happens, there’s not a whole lot someone like Travis Scott could do to assuage their pain. He says he feels sorry for them but he’s quick to say it wasn’t his fault. He’s no different than any defendant pointing fingers to someone else. They don’t want funeral expenses from him. Whatever we get from him we’re going to get through the court system.”