A judge dropped Drake from a lawsuit over the 2021 Astroworld extravaganza in Houston that killed 10 people.
Drake joined festival headliner Travis Scott as a special guest. He played alongside Scott in the end of the event on Nov. 5, 2021, as the audience grew and many could not breathe or move. Authorities and festival organizers tried to stop the show.
Drake, Scott, Live Nation, the festival's promoter, and dozens of others were sued by the relatives of the 10 concertgoers who died and hundreds who were injured.
Drake and Scott, among others, have requested state District Judge Kristen Hawkins to dismiss their complaints. Hawkins briefly dismissed Drake from the lawsuit on Wednesday.
Drake's lawyers argued in a Houston court hearing on April 1 that he was not responsible for the fatalities and injuries since he did not organize the concert.
The Canadian rapper stated in a November Toronto deposition that no one notified him before he took the stage that people in the crowd were having cardiac arrests or other injuries. He said the crowd was a blur on stage and he couldn't see details.
Drake watched 9-year-old Ezra Blount's video of him sitting on his father's shoulders in the deposition. Later, when asked by Blount's family attorney if he wanted to hear from the concert organizers about why Blount died, Drake answered, “I think I would want answers for what happened, yes.”
Hawkins fired seven suing companies and individuals on Monday. She refused requests to dismiss from 10 other organizations and people, including Apple Inc., which livestreamed the concert, and two Scott-affiliated companies. On Monday, Hawkins would hear other requests to dismiss, including one against Scott.
Houston Police cleared Scott after an investigation. He and five others were not indicted by a grand jury in June for the tragic performance. Police Chief Troy Finner wouldn't reveal his agency's investigation's outcome. In July, the police released their roughly 1,300-page inquiry report on festival workers' concerns and potential deaths.
Four families of concertgoers who died have settled their lawsuits. In court records on Feb. 5, lawyers for the family of 23-year-old Rodolfo “Rudy” Peña announced a settlement in their lawsuit.
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