Travis Scott Project HEAL: Singer accused by Ezra Blount's family of pulling 'PR stunt'

Astroworld's youngest victim Ezra Blount's family accused Travis of faking it: 'He's trying to make himself look good'

PUBLISHED MAR 11, 2022

Travis Scott's Project Heal receives backlash from the family of the Astroworld Fest victims (Photo by Instagram/Travisscott)

Travis Scott's Project HEAL idea did not go down well with everyone. The grandparents of Ezra Blount, 9, the youngest victim of the Astroworld Fest disaster, expressed their doubts about the $5 million humanitarian project. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Tericia Blount remarked, "It's a PR stunt. He's pretty much trying to sway the jurors before they're even assembled."

Blount's grandma continued, "He's trying to make himself look good, but it doesn't look that way to someone with our eyes. What we're seeing is that he's done wrong, and now he's trying to be the good guy and trying to give his own verdict on safety." Ezra's grandfather, Bernon Blount, added, "Every time he does something like this, it's an ongoing reminder."

'Still canceled': Travis Scott donates $5M and launches project for safety of concertgoers

Eight people died and 17 people were transported to local hospitals after what they describe as a crowd surge at the Astroworld festival headlined by Travis Scott(Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

"Blount and the other plaintiffs herein do not have the high profile ability to sway public opinion as defendant Scott, an international music star and his sophisticated media team do," Blount's lawyer, Robertt Hilliard, wrote in an emergency motion, asking the judge to clarify whether the gag order applies equally to all parties involved in the case.

Stephanie Rawlings Blake, the rapper's lawyer, said it was "disappointing" and "beyond cynical" for Hilliard to accuse Scott of breaking the gag order that Judge Kristen Hawkins approved in February. "It is also disappointing that Mr. Hilliard would attack Project HEAL, a series of philanthropic gestures designed to give students and young people a leg up. Project HEAL is a continuation of Travis Scott's longstanding work, including academic scholarships and creative design programmes for underprivileged students," Blake remarked.

Following the November 5 incident at the 2021 Astroworld Festival, Scott established Project HEAL on Tuesday, March 8. The programme is described as a "multi-tier, long-term series of community-focused philanthropy and investment efforts" in a statement.

On Instagram, Scott stated, "I've been taking the time and space over the last few months to grieve, contemplate, and do my part to help my community recover. Most importantly, I want to put my resources and platform to good use in order to effect change."

"My team and I created Project HEAL to take much needed action towards supporting real solutions that make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be. I will always honor the victims of the Astroworld tragedy who remain in my heart forever," Travis added. "Giving back and creating opportunities for the youth is something I’ve always done and will continue to do as long as I have the chance. This program will be a catalyst to real change and I can't wait to introduce the rest of the technology and ideas we've been working on."