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'Is this a joke?' Travis Scott slammed for asking to be dismissed from Astroworld suits

Rapper attempts to deny any liability for the Astroworld tragedy that resulted in multiple different lawsuits, says he's 'not legally liable'

Rapper Travis Scott ignited a fresh controversy on December 8, after he sought to deny any responsibility for the Astroworld tragedy. A representative said Scott isn't "legally liable" for the 10 people that died during a stampede at the concert in Houston, Texas, which has left the internet furious. Many social media users have taken to Twitter to vent their frustration at Scott for not taking responsibility for what happened.

The singer has been widely condemned for his response to the Astroworld tragedy. After a much-delayed apology, he offered free therapy sessions to attendees, which were quickly dubbed a "scam" because of the partnership with BetterHelp. He's also offered to pay for the funeral expenses of the victims, a gesture he made only as the lawsuits began to pile up against him.

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There are now nearly 300 lawsuits against Scott and the organizers of the festival, which have been consolidated into a single case. Attorneys on both sides have filed for the hundreds of cases to be consolidated for pretrial purposes at the Texas Supreme Court. But while many are hoping for justice, Scott's hoping to get away scot-free, according to his representative.

Scott asks for cases to be dismissed with prejudice

An attorney for the rapper, Ed McPherson issued a general denial on his behalf, according to court documents filed in Harris County District Court. That's standard practice for any defendant, setting the stage for the next step in the process - discovery. Scott has since made 11 total filings responding to the lawsuits, denying all the allegations and requesting them to be "dismissed with prejudice". McPherson noted that more such filings are likely to be made in the coming days.

While the general denial is routine, the request for dismissal with prejudice indicates Scott wants nothing to do with the cases. If the court agrees with him, the cases cannot be brought back to court, meaning he would be off the hook for the deaths. McPherson defended his client in a quick interview with KPRC 2 in November, telling them the "finger-pointing needs to stop." Amongst the 11 filings filed, one is against the lawsuit by Bhaghu Shahani, the father of 22-year-old Bharti Shahani who was the ninth person to die from the tragedy.

The news of Scott's efforts has taken social media by storm, and needless to say, no one is happy. 

'You will be paying'

"How easily he asks that when all he had to do to help was ask his audience to take a step back and let the ambulance through. Pffft I hope he is granted nothing," one user responded to the news. Another noted, "He can get dismissed if he can explain how it’s common for an ambulance truck to be driving in the middle of a show." Another asked, "The dude literally watched people die rather than stop his show, is it any surprise he wants to dodge responsibility again?" Another said, "This is a joke, right? There’s literally videos and tweets of him encouraging this very thing. sit down! No one is dismissing anything. You will be paying."

"he should file for retirement next," one commented. Another laughed and said, "good luck with that." Another mocked, "I doubt his dreams will become reality lol actions have consequences."