Update, December 1: Four more families will not accept Travis Scott’s offer to pay for the funerals of family members who died at Astroworld. Rolling Stone reported that attorneys for the families of Jacob Jurinek, Franco Patino, and Axel Acosta, all 21, and John Hilgert, 14, said the families rejected the public offer from Scott. With the family of Ezra Blount, 9, this means half of the ten victims who died at Astroworld will not allow Scott to pay for their funerals. “I find offering to pay for funerals frankly demeaning and really inappropriate to the magnitude of the tragedy that unfolded,†Richard Mithoff, who is representing Hilgert’s family, told Rolling Stone. Philip Cornoy, who is representing the families of Jurinek and Patino, added that the offer is Scott “trying to lessen the public outcry on his case.†And Tony Buzbee, attorney for Acosta’s family, called the offer “bullshit.†“If you gave a shit 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,†said Buzbee, who told the magazine an attorney called him and he never returned the call. He continued, “Whatever we get from him we’re going to get through the court system.â€
Original story follows.
The family of 9-year-old Ezra Blount has rejected Travis Scott’s offer to cover his funeral costs, per Rolling Stone. Blount was the youngest victim of the tragedy at Astroworld, which left ten dead and hundreds injured. He had been sitting on his dad’s shoulders during the November 5 music festival in Houston. After they were separated during the deadly crowd surge, Blount was later found at a hospital, where he spent several days in a medically induced coma and ultimately died November 14. Scott reportedly volunteered to pay for funeral expenses November 24, the day after Blount was buried. Scott’s lawyer Daniel Petrocelli wrote that the artist was “devastated†and “committed to doing his part to help the families who have suffered,†adding that accepting the offer would not impact a lawsuit filed against Scott and others by Blount’s father, Treston Blount.
“Your client’s offer is declined,†Blount family attorney Bob Hilliard responded in a November 29 letter obtained by Rolling Stone. “I have no doubt Mr. Scott feels remorse. His journey ahead will be painful. He must face and hopefully see that he bears some of the responsibility for this tragedy.†Hilliard also told Rolling Stone Scott’s team had previously reached out about potentially meeting in person. “We were pretty firm. With all due respect, no,†he said. “This isn’t a photo-op story here. This is a ‘who’s responsible and why’ type of investigation. And he’s on the short list.†In the letter, Hilliard noted that “perhaps one day, once time allows some healing for the victims and acceptance of responsibility by Mr. Scott and others, Treston and Mr. Scott might meet, as there is also healing in that.â€