The family of Ezra Blount, the 9-year-old who was killed from injuries sustained at the Nov. 5 Astroworld concert, has rejected Travis Scott‘s offer to pay for the young boy’s funeral. In a letter obtained by Rolling Stone on November 29, Blount family lawyer Bob Hilliard told Travis’ legal team, “Your client’s offer is declined. 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.” Ezra was the youngest of the ten victims of the Astroworld tragedy, which involved a dangerous crowd surge ensuing while Travis, 30, was on stage performing at NRG Park in Houston, Texas, in front of around 50,000 people.
Travis’ initial offer to cover Ezra’s funeral expenses came from his lawyer Daniel Petrocelli. It was sent via letter to Bob Hilliard and Ben Crump, who are representing the Blount family, on November 24 — the day after Ezra was laid to rest at a funeral in Texas, Rolling Stone reported. Daniel’s letter read, “Travis is devastated by the tragedy that occurred at the Astroworld Festival and grieves for the families whose loved ones died or were injured. Travis is committed to doing his part to help the families who have suffered and begin the long process of healing in the Houston community. Toward that end, Travis would like to pay for the funeral expenses for Mr. Blount’s son.”
Ezra was sitting on the shoulders of his father, Treston Blount, when he was trampled during the concert. He died on November 14, after being placed in a medically-induced coma from his injuries, according to The New York Post. Ezra was the tenth person to pass from the incident. The other nine victims were John Hilgert, 14, Brianna Rodriguez, 16, Jacob Jurinek, 20, Franco Patino, 21, Axel Acosta, 21, Rodolfo ‘Rudy’ Peña, 23, Madison Dubiski, 23, Danish Baig, 27, and Bharti Shahani, 22.
Currently, Travis is facing around 120 lawsuits of more than $3 billion due to the Astroworld incident. Live Nation, ScoreMore, and Cactus Jack Records have also been named in some of the suits, as has Drake, who was brought out as a special guest at the concert. The day after the incident, Travis posted a statement and a video on social media that revealed his shock and “devastation” over the tragedy.
“I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night,” he said. “My prayers go out to the families all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival. Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into the tragic loss of life. I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”