Travis Scott claims his phone is at the bottom of the ocean amid Astroworld trial
Despite asserting that there’s no access to any communication before, during, or after the tragic event, Scott still maintains his innocence.
Image: Mindy Small/WireImage
Rapper Travis Scott’s Astroworld trial has just become slightly more complicated after his lawyer claims that his phone, which contains sensitive information relevant to the lawsuit, is at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.
In 2021 the Astroworld tragedy took the lives of 10 people and injured hundreds after crowds at Travis Scott’s music festival were crushed.
Scott has finally faced his long-awaited deposition, which took place last Monday (18 September), relating to the many thousands of lawsuits that have been filed since the catastrophic event.
Rolling Stone reports that attorneys representing the plaintiffs (the victims and their families) had requested information from Scott’s phone. However, the eight-time GRAMMY nominee’s lawyer, Steve Brody, has told the court that no information can be obtained from Scott’s phone as it is sitting at the bottom of the ocean. He added that he didn’t back up his phone over “significant hacking concerns.”
In addition, the plaintiffs’ lawyers also claim that Scott and XX Global had previously “objected to produce those records, citing several different grounds including that the request was ‘seeking confidential and/or sensitive information’”.
In the transcript which has been obtained by Rolling Stone, this lack of information was questioned by Judge Kristen Hawkins:
“There does not seem to have been any action, from what I am hearing right now, taken on the part of Mr Scott’s legal team to either, A, secure and download anything from his phone immediately following an event in which 10 people died, or, B, trying to recover text messages from alternate sources when Mr Scott would have the ability to go and get that information, possibly from the carrier, or from other sources.”
However, Scott’s team remain adamant that Scott has nothing to hide, despite the loss of all evidence and communication before, after and during the event.
“His actions during and after the festival demonstrate that he has done nothing wrong,” says Ted Anastasiou, a representative for Scott. “As does the fact that he and his team were cleared following the investigation by the Houston Police Department.”
