HOUSTON, Texas — Live Nation, one of the country’s biggest concert promoters, is feverishly pushing against a deposition of its chief executive officer over the 2021 Astroworld Festival tragedy, where 10 people were killed during a crowd crush.
It is the latest development in a case where the last of the victims’ families have settled; however, as of recently, the event promoter is still facing outstanding claims from others who were injured during the event and are making it clear they are not willing to settle.
This action has landed them in front of the Texas Supreme Court.
Live Nation is already under fire and has been named in a lawsuit with Ticketmaster for inflated ticket prices.
RELATED: A full breakdown of what happened at Astroworld Festival tragedy, according to Houston police
Houston police released a timeline of the Nov. 5, 2021, Astroworld Festival tragedy that left 10 concertgoers dead.
Live Nation claims that its CEO, Michael Rapino, lacks information that would warrant his presence for a deposition. The company says this would be an unwanted intrusion into corporate affairs, which the business-friendly court should guard against.
Emails revealed in the lawsuit show that Rapino was “deeply involved” in booking Travis Scott, the headliner of Astroworld Festival and Houston native, and how he handled the public response once news broke of the fatalities. It was also found that a significant advance was made to cover the artist’s debts in the process.
It also claims that the CEO was forewarned about concerns over Scott performing from a festival producer in New Orleans, saying he is “too big of a risk.”
SEE ALSO: Astroworld organizers had ‘strong hunch’ on overcrowding, raising red flags weeks prior to tragedy
The lawsuit claims that, amid the rising death toll, Rapino was teetering on not canceling the festival’s second day, allegedly attempting to gauge the aftermath in an email to employees.
The plaintiffs said that the emails and communication point to Rapino as the critical decision maker.
The courts have not budged with Live Nation’s pleas, with an appellate court and trial judge making way for Rapino’s testimony.
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