HOUSTON: PR consultant Trey Hicks has been named as a defendant in the latest filing of a $2 billion lawsuit following a crowd surge at the Astroworld Fest this month that left 10 dead and hundreds injured.
The lawsuit seeks damages for 282 victims who attended Astroworld on November 5 in Houston from companies including Apple Music, Live Nation, NRG Stadium and Scoremore. Rapper Travis Scott, who headlined the event, and guest artist Drake are also named in the suit, as was Hicks.
Since the filing, Trey Hicks PR’s website has been disabled. He did not respond to requests for comment.
Trial attorney Thomas Henry, who represents several victims, is leading the case. Some 120 other victims have contacted the firm seeking representation, the law firm said in a statement. Henry was not immediately available for additional comment.
The Texas lawyer had expressed his intention to pursue litigation against Apple in an earlier interview with PRWeek, noting the tech giant had exclusive rights to live-stream the event.
The concert turned deadly on November 5 after eyewitnesses say attendees fainted, went into cardiac arrest and got trampled during a crowd surge. In the aftermath of the event, Scott, whose real name is Jaques Bermon Webster, Apple Music and Live Nation took to social media to respond to the incident.
Scott has since said he will pay for the funeral costs of the victims and has partnered with BetterHelp to provide free therapy to Astroworld concert-goers for one month.
Following the event, Fortnite removed the Travis Scott emote from its platform. Nike also said on its website it is postponing the launch of its sneaker collaboration with Scott, the Air Max 1 x Cactus Jack, “out of respect for everyone impacted by the tragic events at the Astroworld Festival.”
Apple and Nike did not respond to requests for comment.
