The rapper’s lawyers said festival organizers “confirmed under oath that Mr. Graham was not involved in any planning”
Drake — who was named as a defendant in multiple lawsuits over the deadly Astroworld tragedy alongside Travis Scott, Apple, and Live Nation — has requested he be dismissed from ongoing litigation.
In a motion filed Friday in Houston court, via Billboard, lawyers for the rapper (real name Aubrey Drake Graham) argued he had no involvement in the planning or organizing of the event and was unaware of any safety issues prior to performing at the show.
“Mr. Graham did not receive any security briefings, was not informed of any crowd control issues, injuries or deaths in the crowd, or any stop show orders at any time either before or during his 14-minute performance,” his attorney argued.
His legal team claimed that he “arrived at the venue at approximately 7:30 p.m.” and remained largely secluded backstage in a trailer until approximately 9:54 p.m.; at that time, the star “immediately took the stage as requested, performed for approximately 14 minutes, and then exited the stage at 10:08 p.m..”
A rep for Drake did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
Back in November, Drake was questioned for several hours in a deposition tied to hundreds of lawsuits filed in Harris County following a crowd surge at the 2021 edition of Astroworld, where 10 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured. His deposition followed Scott’s, who — along with the Live Nation and other organizers — has largely been targeted by the suits.
Following the tragedy, Drake issued a statement on his Instagram, writing that “my heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering. I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can, May God be with you all.”
