Travis Scott will pay for the funerals of the fans who died Friday night at his Astroworld Festival in Houston and is offering free therapy to those impacted by the tragedy.
Scott was on stage when the crowd of 50,000 surged towards the front of the stage. Eight people, ranging in age from 14 to 27, died and hundreds were injured.
“Travis remains in active conversations with the city of Houston, law enforcement and local first responders to respectfully and appropriately connect with the individuals and families of those involved,” reads a statement from his reps. “These are the first of many steps Travis plans on taking as a part of his personal vow to assist those affected throughout their grieving and recovery process.”
Scott and his Cactus Jack Foundation are partnering with BetterHelp to offer free online therapy sessions.
Astroworld Festival Tragedy: iHeartRadio.ca Music News Coverage
On Saturday, Scott tweeted: ”I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night … I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”
In a follow-up video message via Instagram Story, Scott added: “My fans really mean the world to me. I always just want to leave them with a positive experience … I could just never imagine the severity of the situation.”
Roddy Ricch, who performed earlier in the night, announced he will donate his earnings to the families of the victims.
ScoreMore Shows, which co-produced the festival with Live Nation, said Monday it will establish a fund to cover medical costs and mental health counselling.
All Astroworld Festival ticket holders are receiving refunds.
Scott, ScoreMore Shows and Live Nation are named in more than a dozen lawsuits already filed in connection to the incident.
On Monday, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner issued a statement in which he revealed he spoke to Scott and the rapper’s head of security before Friday’s show.
“I expressed my concerns regarding public safety and that in my 31 years of law enforcement experience I have never seen a time with more challenges facing citizens of all ages, to include a global pandemic and social tension throughout the nation.
“I asked Travis Scott and his team to work with Houston Police Department for all events over the weekend and to be mindful of his team’s social media messaging on any unscheduled events. The meeting was brief and respectful, and a chance for me to share my public safety concerns as Chief of Police.”