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<ul class="summary-list"><li>A string of federal lawsuits out of Manhattan accuse <keyword id="20236265" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="combs" source="keywords">Combs</keyword> of sexual attacks dating back to 1995.</li><li>One alleges Combs orally raped a worker for rival brand <keyword id="23786412" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ecko" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ecko" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Ecko">Ecko</keyword> at the <keyword id="20749648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Macys" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Macy's" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Macy's">Macy's</keyword> flagship store in 2008.</li></ul>Macy's covered up a violent 2008 sexual attack by Sean "Diddy" Combs at its flagship <keyword id="23786411" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Herald-Square" source="keywords">Herald Square</keyword>, Manhattan store to protect a "multi-million-dollar" deal with Combs' clothing brand, <keyword id="23786413" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sean-John" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Sean John" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Sean John">Sean John</keyword>, a new lawsuit alleges. The worldwide department store chain was named as a defendant in one of at least <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-new-allegations-lawsuits-2024-10">six federal lawsuits</a>, all alleging sexual assaults, filed against the hip-hop entrepreneur in Manhattan Monday. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25204963-combs-lawsuit-macys-attack-complaint-20241014">The 19-page lawsuit</a> is one of two filed Monday that names an outside company as a defendant beyond <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-business-income-dried-up-ciroc-music-deleon-2024-10">the companies belonging to Combs</a>. It was filed on behalf of a "John Doe" who now lives in Ohio. The plaintiff alleges that he was orally raped by Combs while working in the stockroom of the flagship store. The plaintiff said he worked for Ecko, a rival clothing company to Combs' Sean John brand that was also carried by Macy's. On the day of the attack, Combs entered into the stockroom with three armed bodyguards, the lawsuit says. One or more of the guards struck him — he may have been pistol-whipped, he alleges — causing him to fall to his hands and knees, the lawsuit said. The plaintiff says in the lawsuit that one or more of the bodyguards threatened to kill him. The plaintiff said Combs demanded he perform oral sex on him, calling him by the name of the company he worked for, "Ecko." Combs proceeded to orally rape the plaintiff in what was described as a two-minute attack, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that after the assault, Combs grabbed armfuls of Sean John merchandise from the stockroom, went out onto the retail floor, and "began passing out merchandise to an adoring crowd, as if nothing had happened." The lawsuit accuses Macy's of quickly covering up the incident. <div type="image" title="Sean Combs, Cassie Ventura, and Terry Lundgren stand in front of a Macy's backdrop." height="2191" width="3000" msid="114232336" hostid="261"></div>The plaintiff reported it the same day to company security, but there was no follow-up, and he was soon barred from the store, the lawsuit alleges. "Approximately three weeks later, <keyword id="23786414" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Terry-Lundgren" source="keywords">Terry Lundgren</keyword>, CEO of Macy's, pressured Ecko executives to fire plaintiff because Macy's had just signed a multi-million-dollar deal with Sean John Clothing," the suit says. The plaintiff was eventually fired and told by Ecko that he could no longer live in his company-paid apartment in the city, the lawsuit says. Ecko was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. The company did not immediately return requests for comment from Business Insider after normal business hours on Monday. The plaintiff "believes that the report of the assault was destroyed or otherwise purged from Macy's records, and no action was ever taken as a result of the report." He still "fears for his life," the lawsuit says. Macy's and Lundgren did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations. Attorneys for Combs released a statement Monday, again denying that the artist ever committed sexual assault. They called the lawsuits filed Monday an attempt to "garner publicity." "Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process," the lawyers said. "In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman." The lawsuits against Combs were filed in Manhattan by the Texas-based <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.txattorneys.com/">Buzbee Law Firm</a>, co-counsel <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://avalaw.com/">AVA Law Group</a>, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.curislaw.com/">Curis Law.</a> The Sean John brand, founded in 1998, appears now to be defunct. Its Instagram page is blank, and its website is broken. At one point, it had expanded to include clothing, furniture, fragrance, and footwear, and by 2010, the brand reported retail sales of over $525 million. Starting in 2011, the company's lucrative sportswear line — which it said made up about half of its sales — was exclusively sold at Macy's. Five of the retailer's locations included Sean John shops, where the company's goods were marketed and sold in prime locations, and Combs appeared in commercials for the store. For years, it was among the department chain's top-selling men's brands, <a target="_blank" class="c-link" href="https://wwd.com/menswear-news/mens-retail-business/sean-combs-puffy-global-brands-sean-john-10714373/">WWD reported</a>. "I have always admired Sean's sense of fashion, as well as his business acumen. He has a keen insight into the needs of a style-conscious, contemporary man," Lundgren <a target="_blank" class="c-link" href="https://www.macysinc.com/newsroom/news/news-details/2010/Sean-John-Sportswear-to-be-Sold-Exclusively-at-Macys-05-05-2010/default.aspx">said</a> of Combs when the exclusivity deal was announced in 2010 — two years after the alleged <a target="_blank" href="http://assault.In">assault.</a> "He was the first person to believe in me," the hip-hop star said of Lundgren, returning the compliment in a 2012 <a target="_blank" class="c-link" href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/SB50001424052748704723404578199501748850748">Barron's article</a>. "He was like a godfather," Combs said. In 2016, Combs sold a majority stake in the brand for $70 million, but under new management, the brand floundered and eventually filed for bankruptcy. In 2021, Combs purchased the business back for $7.55 million. Sean John continued to be sold at Macy's until last fall, though a spokesperson did not comment on whether the line was pulled due to the mounting accusations against Combs. Combs remains in jail awaiting a sex-trafficking trial scheduled for May 5. Correction: October 21, 2024 — Due to an error during editing, an earlier version of this story misstated Sean Jean's revenue. The brand, as a whole, reported over $525 million in retail sales in 2010, not specifically at Macy's.

Macy's accused in lawsuit of covering up 2008 sexual attack by Sean 'Diddy' Combs in Herald Square flagship store

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Five new civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault were filed against Sean "Diddy" Combs on Sunday.</li><li>One accuses Combs of raping a 13-year-old girl at an after-party following the 2000 VMAs.</li></ul>A Texas-based attorney filed five new lawsuits against <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/diddy-case-sean-combs-next-court-date-2024-10">Sean "Diddy" Combs</a> on Sunday.In one of the lawsuits, filed in the Southern District of New York, a woman is accusing the hip-hop mogul of drugging and raping her when she was 13 while at an after-party following the 2000 <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mtv-vma-best-performances-2017-8">MTV Video Music Awards</a>.The anonymous Jane Doe plaintiff from Alabama accuses Combs of raping her at a New York City house party, as two other unnamed celebrities watched. The party took place after the awards show at Radio City Music Hall, the lawsuit says.Those celebrities are only identified in the lawsuit as "Celebrity A" and "Celebrity B."It is unclear why they are not identified in the court papers, and attorneys for the plaintiff did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Business Insider on Monday.Tony Buzbee, the Texas attorney who filed the lawsuits along with co-counsel AVA Law Group and New York local counsel Curis Law, noted in a statement Monday that several other individuals are referenced in the case filings, but are not at this time formally named as defendants.Combs' attorneys have consistently denied any accusations of sexual assault.Combs rose to fame as a rapper and producer in the late 1990s before going on to build a business empire. He went on to become one of the first — and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-business-income-dried-up-ciroc-music-deleon-2024-10">richest — hip-hop moguls of all </a><a target="_blank" href="http://time.In">time.</a>In 1998, he founded <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/macys-covered-up-2008-flagship-store-sex-attack-diddy-lawsuit-2024-10">fashion label Sean Jean</a>, which was bringing in more than $525 million in retail sales by 2010. By 2017, he had reported pretax earnings of $130 million, allowing him to notch the top spot on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2017/06/12/why-diddy-is-no-1-on-the-2017-celebrity-100-list/">Forbes'</a> list of highest-paid celebrities for the year. At the time, his sprawling business organization — which has since dwindled — was worth as much as $820 million.The lawsuit from Sunday is among many that attorney <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/diddy-lawsuits-celebrities-list">Buzbee recently promised to file against Combs</a> on behalf of 120 accusers.Buzbee's firm has so far filed at least 11 <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/macys-covered-up-2008-flagship-store-sex-attack-diddy-lawsuit-2024-10">civil lawsuits against Combs</a>.Those complaints, all filed on behalf of Jane or John Does, include many identical pages of abuse allegations against Combs, aside from the new paragraphs of the incident-based allegations for each victim.Buzbee said in his statement that he and his team "expect to be filing cases weekly naming Mr. Combs and others as defendants as we continue to gather evidence and prepare the filings."In the complaint filed Sunday stemming from the 2000 VMAs after-party, Jane Doe alleges she was initially held down and raped by "Celebrity A" while Combs and "Celebrity B" — a woman — looked on."After the male celebrity finished, Combs then vaginally raped Plaintiff while the Celebrity A and Celebrity B watched," the lawsuit alleges.The lawsuit alleges Combs then attempted to force the plaintiff to perform oral sex on him, but she instead hit him in the neck, and he stopped.The lawsuit says the plaintiff grabbed her clothes and left the bedroom, "roaming naked through the house looking for the exit as the party continued."Once outside, the lawsuit says Jane Doe put her clothes back on and made her way to a gas station where she called her father and "admitted that she had lied about her whereabouts, and asked him to pick her up."<h2 id="97e7b5b6-aaa0-4f60-ab36-e44c10b28762">A star-studded event</h2>The 2000 VMAs were hosted that year by brothers Marlon and Shawn Wayans. The star-studded event would be most remembered for Tim Commerford, of Rage Against the Machine, climbing scaffolding and refusing to come down after losing an award to Limp Bizkit. Combs attended the awards show that year with Jennifer Lopez, whom he was dating at the time.The lawyers for the Jane Doe plaintiff said in the complaint that the young teen ended up at the party after having a friend drop her off at Radio City Music Hall in the hopes that she could attend."Determined to get into an afterparty, she approached several limousine drivers, attempting to talk her way into the VMAs," the lawsuit says.The lawsuit alleges that she spoke to a limo driver who said he worked for Combs.The lawsuit says the plaintiff was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement before she entered the house party, where she "recognized many celebrities."The plaintiff says her drink was drugged, and when she began feeling "woozy and lightheaded," she went into an empty bedroom to lie down.<h2 id="51653b7e-19e4-47e4-b175-36a28c22982c">Diddy is seeking a gag order</h2>Attorneys for Combs on Monday reused the same statement they gave last week in response to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-new-allegations-lawsuits-2024-10">initial wave of lawsuits</a> filed by Buzbee's firm, saying the complaints were an attempt to "garner publicity.""Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process," Combs' attorneys said in the statement to BI. "In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone — adult or minor, man or woman."Combs <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-arrested-grand-jury-indictment-2024-9">was indicted last month by a Manhattan grand jury</a> on federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation for the purposes of prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.Since then, the rapper and entrepreneur has been held without bail in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-metropolitan-detention-center-brooklyn-jail-indictment-2024-9">notorious Brooklyn jail</a> pending his scheduled <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-judge-gag-order-trial-date-2024-10">May 5 sex-trafficking trial</a> in Manhattan federal court.The recent onslaught of lawsuits and negative press has not been lost on Combs' defense attorneys in that criminal case.On Sunday, they filed a motion asking the judge overseeing Combs' case for a limited gag order barring all prospective witnesses and their attorneys from talking about their allegations outside the context of a court proceeding.The Combs accusers now coming forward with civil lawsuits are also potential witnesses in his criminal trial, his lawyers said.Federal rules specifically bar such witnesses and their attorneys from making statements outside of court that could taint a jury."As the Court is aware, Mr. Combs has been the target of an unending stream of allegations by prospective witnesses and their counsel in the press," Combs' attorneys wrote to the judge. "These prospective witnesses and their lawyers have made numerous inflammatory extrajudicial statements aimed at assassinating Mr. Combs's character in the press."

A woman accuses Diddy in lawsuit of raping her at 2000 VMAs after-party when she was 13

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Plaintiffs in 14 lawsuits call Sean Combs a rapist, including eight who sued in the past two weeks.</li><li>Credible plaintiffs can help prosecutors win the Combs criminal case, legal experts say.</li></ul>The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-arrested-grand-jury-indictment-2024-9">sex-trafficking indictment</a> against Sean "Diddy" Combs mentions a single cooperating accuser, a former longtime girlfriend referred to only as "Victim-1."Legal experts believe she won't be alone for much longer.Plaintiffs from Combs' growing number of sexual abuse lawsuits may soon join her, as "Victim-2," "Victim-3," and beyond, in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/diddy-case-sean-combs-next-court-date-2024-10">an updated indictment</a>, veteran New York defense attorneys predict."You can bet the US Attorney's Office is interviewing the attorneys, if not the clients themselves," attorney Michael Farkas, a former New York prosecutor.While strong civil accusers — those offering proof, corroboration, and believable testimony — can help prosecutors win a criminal trial, their financial stake in the outcome of the case makes them vulnerable to cross-examination."If they are credible, they could amount to very powerful evidence against Mr. Combs, either as additional charges or as witnesses called to the stand to show a pattern," Farkas said."But the US attorneys will use caution in all these plaintiff interviews, entertaining at least the possibility that these are claims of opportunity," he said.Defense lawyers have already signaled that this will be a line of attack against "Victim-1." While she is not identified by name in court papers, her details in the indictment match those in a quickly settled $30 million lawsuit brought in November by Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura, the rap mogul's longtime girlfriend.Ventura's attorney, Douglas Wigdor, declined to comment on this story."There's 30 million reasons" to doubt her credibility, Combs attorney Marc Agnifilo told a judge during bail arguments last month. "One for each dollar that was being sued for."Any dent in a witness's credibility can damage a case, said Stacey Richman, a Bronx-based attorney who has represented rappers including Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Ja Rule."If they believe a witness has intentionally testified falsely as to any material fact, the jurors may disregard the witness's entire testimony," said Richman. "And if there is enough momentum with multiple witnesses, it can destabilize the whole case."Farkas, Richman, and other criminal defense lawyers with federal experience told BI prosecutors will be especially interested in the most serious of the two dozen civil claims brought in the year since <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-sex-trafficking-rape-abuse-lawsuit-cassie-venutura-2023-11">Ventura's lawsuit</a> opened the Combs litigation floodgates.So far, 11 women and three men allege they were raped by the music mogul after being beaten or drugged at parties he threw in Manhattan, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas over the past three decades. Nearly a dozen additional plaintiffs allege sexual abuse without using the word rape.In a lawsuit filed this week, a Jane Doe from Alabama said<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-lawsuit-mtv-vma-afterparty-2024-10"> she was 13 years old</a> when Combs and an unnamed "Celebrity A" raped her at an after-party for the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.The lawsuit was one of 13 cases <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-new-allegations-lawsuits-2024-10">filed in the last two weeks</a> by The Buzbee Law Firm in Houston. Founding attorney Tony Buzbee says he'll file 120 in total."We expect to be filing cases weekly naming Mr. Combs and others as defendants as we continue to gather evidence and prepare the filings," he told BI.Combs remains in a federal jail in Brooklyn as he appeals his denial of bail and awaits trial. His indictment alleges he engaged in a decades-long pattern of physical and sexual violence, including during elaborate dayslong sex performances called "freak-offs." He has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers have said that the charged behavior was consensual.In court papers relating to the criminal case, defense attorneys have used the words "false" and "outright absurd" in referring to the lawsuits' allegations. Members of the defense team declined to comment for this story.A spokesman for the US attorney's office also declined comment.<h2 id="86735765-745d-412a-8591-f8240b1d03e2">The vetting will be rigorous</h2>The vetting of these potential plaintiffs-turned-federal-witnesses will be rigorous, said Michael Bachner, a former New York prosecutor who was part of Combs' defense team in 2001, during a Manhattan guns and bribery trial that ended in the rap mogul's acquittal."They'll want to know, is there corroboration or proof?" Bachner said of federal prosecutors. "Many of these allegations are decades old — are there hospital records? Is there an explanation for a 13-year-old going to a VMA party? Why was she alone?"This vetting is already well underway.Federal prosecutors have been interviewing plaintiffs for months in a less-than-secretive process, defense lawyers complained recently, in asking Combs' Manhattan judge to gag potential witnesses and their attorneys.Combs producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-prince-harry-was-mentioned-in-sean-diddy-combs-lawsuit-2024-3">filed a $30 million lawsuit in February</a> alleging sexual assault and harassment, allegations Combs has denied and is seeking to have dismissed.Last week, Tyrone Blackburn, an attorney for Jones, told a federal judge in Manhattan that he and his client have met repeatedly with prosecutors, with Jones drawing a map of Combs' home and sharing photos, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.law360.com/media/articles/1890836">Law 360</a>.Blackburn, who also represents <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/diddy-lawsuits-celebrities-list">Combs accuser Liza Gardner</a>, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Blackburn dropped Jones' claims against UMG Recordings, Motown Records, and Universal Music Group in May after the music companies' attorneys complained of inconsistencies in the lawsuit.Another of the Combs lawsuits, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-sean-diddy-combs-sexual-misconduct-timeline-2024-2#july-3-2024-another-woman-files-a-lawsuit-against-combs-17">filed in July by adult film actress Adria English</a>, similarly hit legal shoals this month when her attorneys successfully asked to withdraw from the case, citing "irreconcilable differences" with English, according to court filings. The attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Experts said Combs' defense lawyers will try to impugn the financial motives of not only any plaintiffs who take the stand in May but also their lawyers.In a motion seeking a gag order last week, the defense accused plaintiff attorneys of using "publicity stunt" tactics to drum up a "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-sean-diddy-combs-sexual-misconduct-timeline-2024-2">torrent of allegations</a>."They singled out Buzbee for live-streaming a press conference last month where anyone with claims was advised to call a "1-800" number. The hotline received 12,000 calls in its first 24 hours, he told the New York Post."We will let the allegations in the filed complaints speak for themselves and will work to see that justice is done," Buzbee told BI this week.

Plaintiffs in 14 lawsuits call Diddy a rapist. These accusers can clinch or crash his criminal case. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A sexual abuse lawsuit alleges Sean Combs raped a 10-year-old boy at an audition in NYC in 2005.</li><li>It is the latest of two dozen filed in the past year against Combs, who remains held in jail.</li></ul>Sean "Diddy" Combs is accused in a new lawsuit of drugging and raping a 10-year-old boy during an audition at a hotel in New York City in 2005.He alleges in the suit that he remembers being given a soda and that he soon "felt funny" and lost consciousness during the attack.The plaintiff — the most recent of more than two dozen to file sexual assault lawsuits against the rap mogul in the past year — was not identified in the lawsuit beyond that he was an aspiring child rapper and now lives in California.At least eight of the lawsuits have been brought by plaintiffs alleging they approached Combs in hopes of breaking into the music industry and that Combs abused them after promising to help their careers.These lawsuits include a plaintiff who was a 16-year-old boy at the time of the alleged abuse. A second lawsuit filed Monday alleges that in 2008, during a Making the Band Audition in New York, Combs pressured a 17-year-old boy into having sex with him and a bodyguard named "T." The lawsuit said these encounters were framed by Combs as a "test" of his willingness to do anything to succeed in the business.The plaintiff who alleges he was 10 years old describes in his lawsuit what began as a routine audition."Plaintiff performed several rap songs for Combs," the lawsuit says, describing a meeting at a hotel near Manhattan's Penn Station.The boy and his parents had flown to New York from their home in Los Angeles for meetings with "numerous people within the music industry;" Combs had insisted he meet with the boy alone in his hotel room, the lawsuit alleges."Combs complimented Plaintiff on his rapping, and told Plaintiff that he could 'make him a star," says the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in New York."Combs asked Plaintiff how badly he wanted to be a star, and what Plaintiff would do to get to be one. Plaintiff responded, as might any ten-year-old child, that he would 'do anything,'" the lawsuit, the 14th filed in the past three weeks by The Buzbee Law Firm, says.At that point, others in the room gave him a soda to drink, the lawsuit alleges."You have to do some stuff you don't want to do sometimes," the lawsuit alleges Combs told him, pushing him down.The plaintiff alleges he lost consciousness as he was being forcibly orally violated, then awoke to find his pants undone and that "his anus and buttocks hurt badly.""Combs was still present. Plaintiff cried that he wanted to go to his mom and dad. Combs replied that if Plaintiff told anyone about what had happened, he would hurt Plaintiff's mom and dad badly," the lawsuit alleges.He ultimately told his parents what happened, but they "were terrified of the potential consequences of reporting the abuse," the lawsuit says.Nearly 20 years later, the plaintiff still suffers depression, anxiety, panic, and "night terrors," the lawsuit alleges.Combs remains held in a federal jail in Brooklyn as awaits a sex-trafficking trial set for May 5. He has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and consistently denied all accusations of sexual abuse."The lawyer behind this lawsuit is interested in media attention rather than the truth, as is obvious from his constant press appearances and 1-800 number," lawyers for Combs told BI when asked about both lawsuits filed Monday."As we've said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to claims that are facially ridiculous or demonstrably false. Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor."Combs was among the biggest names in the music industry during the years that many of the plaintiffs say they were abused. In addition to running Bad Boy Records, in 1998 he also launched the clothing line Sean John.He was well-connected and known for his celebrity-filled parties. The federal indictment alleges Combs used his position of power to carry out crimes."Combs relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice," the 14-page indictment says."Combs, and other members and associates of the Combs Enterprise, wielded the power and prestige of Combs' role at the Combs Business to intimidate, threaten, and lure female victims into Combs' orbit."

New Diddy accusers say they were 10 and 17 when he sexually abused them during auditions

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new lawsuit filed against <keyword id="11910746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="travis-scott" source="Orion">Travis Scott</keyword> named more than 20 additional defendants including Apple Music.</li><li>The lawsuit represents over 125 <keyword id="12479178" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="astroworld" source="Orion">Astroworld</keyword> attendees and is seeking more than $750,000,000 in damages.</li></ul>A Houston attorney filed a lawsuit representing over 125 Astroworld Festival attendees on Tuesday, seeking more than $750,000,000 in damages. The suit names Travis Scott, Drake, Apple Music, and others as defendants. The lawsuit, filed in Harris County District Court on Tuesday by Tony Buzbee and reviewed by Insider, said that the deaths of ten concertgoers during and after the mass casualty event concert were "needless and senseless." Buzbee said in a statement to Insider that his firm "intends to file another lawsuit in the coming days with another 100 named plaintiffs."Attendees of Scott's festival in Houston at NRG Park reported "<a href="https://www.insider.com/watch-videos-show-chaos-at-travis-scotts-astroworld-houston-concert-2021-11">hellish</a>" conditions in a "<a href="https://www.insider.com/texas-am-student-left-with-no-brain-activity-after-astroworld-2021-11">sinkhole</a>" of human bodies. The event was dubbed a "<a href="https://www.insider.com/watch-videos-show-chaos-at-travis-scotts-astroworld-houston-concert-2021-11">mass casualty event</a>" by law enforcement at 9:38 p.m. local time on Friday, November 5.<a href="https://www.insider.com/astroworld-victims-list-of-dead-includers-9th-grader-college-friends-2021-11">Ten people</a>, including <a href="https://www.insider.com/9-year-old-boy-dies-travis-scott-astroworld-ezra-blount-2021-11">a 9-year-old</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/astroworld-22-year-old-bharti-shahani-dies-raising-death-toll-to-9-2021-11">a 22-year-old Texas A&amp;M</a>, died following a crowd surge. Hundreds more were injured.The plaintiffs include the family of Axel Acosta, a 21-year-old attendee who died at the concert."Axel Acosta loved and adored Travis Scott and the other performers at Astroworld — the feeling was not mutual; certainly, neither Travis Scott nor his exclusive partners, streaming service, record labels, handlers, entourage, managers, agents, hangers-on, promoters, organizers, or sponsors cared enough about Axel Acosta and the other concertgoers to make an even minimal effort to keep them safe," Buzbee said in the suit.The lawsuit, which is seeking over $750,000,000 in damages for mental and physical distress, lists Scott, Drake, Apple Music, Scoremore, Live Nation, as well as medic staffing agency ParaDocs among the long list of defendants, claiming they all had liability for "gross negligence," and poor planning. Insider reached out to all of the defendants for comment."We are confident that the facts will demonstrate that the care we provided followed the appropriate protocols and operating procedures that were in place," said ParaDocs spokesperson Juda Engelmeyer <a href="https://www.insider.com/astroworld-medical-company-refutes-claims-unprepared-for-festival-2021-11">in a previous statement to Insider</a>. ParaDocs did not immediately respond to provide an updated statement.Apple Music promoted and live-streamed Astroworld, and in the suit, Buzbee pulls from a series of Travis Scott lyrics, social media posts, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/travis-scott-astroworld-fiasco-follows-criminal-charges-previous-concerts-2021-11">stampede incidents at previous shows,</a> claiming that Apple Music should have known there could be potential safety issues before presenting the live-stream."Apple knew that Webster (Travis Scott) had encouraged concertgoers to jump from the balcony, causing at least one to fall and be paralyzed. " Buzzbee wrote in the filing. "Apple was well aware of Live Nation's long and tortured history of reckless disregard to concertgoers," he added, saying that the company "cannot reap the benefits of an exclusive partnership and streaming video from the concert without sharing in the blame for how horribly it was managed." Insider reached out to Apple for comment on the lawsuit.Drake is also named as a defendant because he performed alongside Scott during a more than 30-minute span after the Houston Police Department declared the show a "mass casualty" event.Drake's representatives could not immediately be reached for comment on the lawsuit. He previously said he was praying for the families and friends of those who were killed in an Instagram post."My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering," Drake <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWCr3ydlVVA/?utm_medium=copy_link">said on Instagram</a>. "I will continue to pray for all of them and will be of service in any way I can. May God be with you all." In the suit, Buzbee said that Live Nation has a history of neglecting audience safety measures, citing the suicide bomber attack which killed 22 people at a 2017 Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, the mass shooting at a 2017 country music festival in Las Vegas that killed 60, and the 2015 terrorist attack at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris where 89 people were killed, as examples."We continue to support and assist local authorities in their ongoing investigation so that both the fans who attended and their families can get the answers they want and deserve, and we will address all legal matters at the appropriate time," Live Nation said in a statement to Insider. In regards to Scott (whose birth name is Jacques Berman Webster II), the lawsuit says that "the Acosta family would rather Webster have privately spent money on proper planning, adequate security, and medical staff before the concert, instead of publicly stating that he would pay for the funerals of those that were crushed and killed. Webster's efforts, regardless of their insincerity, are far too little, and far too late."Representatives for Scott did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the suit. In a previous statement to Insider, <a href="https://www.insider.com/travis-scotts-attorney-breaks-silence-decries-finger-pointing-inconsistent-messaging-2021-11">Scott's attorney Edwin McPherson said</a>, "Investigations should start proceeding over finger-pointing so that together, we can identify exactly what transpired and how we can prevent anything like this from happening again."Following the event, Scott posted to <a href="https://twitter.com/trvisXX/status/1457018948109705217">Twitter</a> that he was "devastated" by the loss of life, adding, "My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival."

New lawsuit representing over 125 Astroworld attendees names Travis Scott, Apple Music, and others as defendants and seeks more than $750,000,000 in damages

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Twenty-two women have filed lawsuits against Texans quarterback <keyword id="3943369" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="deshaun-watson">Deshaun Watson</keyword>, alleging sexual misconduct.</li><li>On Tuesday, two of the women who filed suits spoke publicly for the first time.</li><li>According to CNBC, Nike has suspended its endorsement deal with Watson.</li></ul>Twenty-two women have filed lawsuits against <keyword id="1440421" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Houston-Texans">Houston Texans</keyword> quarterback Deshaun Watson, alleging sexual assault and misconduct.On Tuesday, two of the women involved in those suits spoke out for the first time, making their identities public. In the suits, the plaintiffs are referred to as Jane Does.Ashley Solis, <a href="https://www.insider.com/deshaun-watson-nfl-quarterback-lawsuit-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a massage therapist who filed suit against Watson on March 16</a>, spoke at a <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> conference with her attorney, Tony Buzbee."I got into massage therapy to heal people," Solis <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31203997/two-women-filed-lawsuits-vs-houston-texans-deshaun-watson-alleging-sexual-misconduct-speak-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "To heal their minds and bodies. To bring peace to their souls. Deshaun Watson has robbed me of that. He took that away from me, he tainted a profession in which I take enormous pride."Solis said that since the alleged incident, she has suffered from panic attacks, anxiety, and depression."People say that I'm doing this just for money," she said. "That is false. I come forward now so that Deshaun Watson does not assault another woman."Solis and the other women in the suits allege a pattern of inappropriate sexual behavior by Watson during massages. Some of the allegations suggest Watson exposed himself during appointments and directed the therapists to focus on his groin, then moved his body so that his penis would touch their hands.The second woman who came forward, Lauren Baxley, wrote a letter that was read aloud by lawyer Cornelia Brandfield-Harvey, who works with Buzbee."Every boundary from professional and therapeutic to sexual and degrading you crossed or attempted to cross," Baxley wrote.According to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/07/nike-suspends-endorsement-of-deshaun-watson-over-sexual-misconduct-allegations.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a report from CNBC</a>, Nike has suspended Watson's endorsement deal."We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and have suspended Deshaun Watson. We will continue to closely monitor the situation," Nike said in a statement to CNBC.Beats by Dre is also reportedly parting ways with Watson, <a href="https://twitter.com/byajperez/status/1379825939866079237" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports</a>.Watson and his lawyer, Rusty Hardin, have denied the allegations against the quarterback. They said Solis' lawsuit came after a failed attempt to get money from Watson."Mr. Buzbee sought $100,000 in hush money on behalf of Ms. Solis to quietly settle the allegations the month before he filed the first lawsuit," Hardin said in a statement.The statement included excerpts of an email exchange that Hardin says Watson's lawyers had with the Buzbee Law Firm."My email exchanges with Mr. Buzbee and Ms. Brandfield-Harvey were very clear," Scott Gaffield, a lawyer who represents Watson through the Athletes First agency, said in a statement. "We did not think that the facts showed that Deshaun did anything wrong with their client. We believed then - and fully believe now - that Deshaun learned a lesson about putting himself in this type of situation by interacting with people he does not know."The identities of the remaining women who have filed suits against Watson remain unknown. In <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T9ZyhSinX9UgAhuhO54uNA0wV85YcE6M/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the lawsuits</a>, a woman alleges that Watson "coerced plaintiff to move her mouth towards his penis, forcing plaintiff to perform oral sex on him."On Tuesday, the <keyword id="103436" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="NFL">NFL</keyword> issued a statement."The allegations are deeply disturbing and we take these issues very seriously," the league's vice president of communications, Brian McCarthy, <a href="https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/04/06/nfl-we-are-monitoring-deeply-disturbing-allegations-against-deshaun-watson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "Immediately following news of the first allegations last month, and as has been reported, we initiated an investigation under the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy. We are continuing to closely monitor all developments in the matter."

2 massage therapists have gone public with sexual-assault allegations against quarterback Deshaun Watson, shedding their anonymity

<keyword id="11910746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="travis-scott" source="Orion">Travis Scott</keyword> performed for more than 30 minutes after authorities declared a mass-casualty event. A concertgoer who was crushed in the crowd wonders why he didn't shut it down.There was hardly anyone standing by the stage when Cynthia Lira arrived Friday at the NRG Stadium in Houston. She wanted to stake out a prime position to watch Travis Scott's headlining set at the <keyword id="12479178" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="astroworld" source="Orion">Astroworld</keyword> festival, so she showed up three hours early. Scott's die-hard fans were sitting in the grass, biding their time. As the show neared, Lira remembers, the area filled up with concertgoers until it was no longer possible to sit. Lira says "a big wave of people" started pushing forward about 30 minutes before Scott took the stage. Fans pressed in from all sides, and Lira says she could barely find space on the ground to plant both feet.Lira decided she had enough about a minute before the rapper started performing. "I'm going to pass out if I stay here," she told a friend. Just as the two turned to leave, Scott began playing the song "Escape Plan," and they were pushed back by another wave of people pressing towards the stage. Lira says she became desperate. "Our chests were cramped up, you could not breathe at all," she says. "We tried to move, we were like, 'Please, we're trying to leave.' This other girl was screaming and crying."Lira and her friend moved back a few rows from the stage before Scott started hyping up their section of the crowd. "In my mind, I was just like, 'Are you kidding me?' People are going to trample ... they're going to fall over each other." She describes a "sinkhole of people" opening up around her as bodies fell to the ground and started piling on top of each other. "I was trying to get up as fast as I could, but people were landing on top of my legs and I couldn't move," she says. Lira screamed, but the music was too loud for anyone to hear her. At one point, she heard Scott start in on the song "Stargazing," which includes the lyrics: "And it ain't no mosh pit if it ain't no injuries, I got 'em stage divin' out the nosebleeds." "I was like, 'I'm going to die because this man is not stopping the concert,'" Lira recalls. Knowing the song would trigger jumping and moshing in the crowd, she resigned herself to being crushed to death. She lost sight of the lasers, strobe lights, and pyrotechnics that made up Scott's performance as other people fell on top of her. "There was no light left of the concert at all," Lira says. "It was complete darkness. I was holding another person's hand and I was just accepting that I was going to die." Then she passed out.The account Lira shared with Insider reflects <a href="https://www.insider.com/astroworld-attendee-chaotic-scene-travis-scott-8-dead-2021-11">what</a> <a href="https://www.insider.com/travis-scott-astroworld-pleas-to-stop-festival-ignored-eyewitnesses-2021-11">many</a> <a href="https://www.insider.com/astroworld-attendee-concert-became-a-fight-for-survival-2021-11">Astroworld</a> attendees said they experienced on November 5, when a crowd of more than 50,000 surged toward the stage. On Wednesday, the death count rose to nine, after 22-year-old Texas A&amp;M student <a href="https://www.insider.com/astroworld-22-year-old-bharti-shahani-dies-raising-death-toll-to-9-2021-11">Bharti Shahani</a> succumbed to her injuries. Those who died ranged in age from 14 to 27; no official cause of death has been released for any of the victims.But survivors who described over-crowded conditions said they saw people in the crowd fall like dominoes, becoming trapped under a pile of bodies. Concertgoers have also complained that event staff, including a <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/11/10/video-travis-scott-fan-begged-cameraman-to-stop-deadly-show/">cameraman</a> who appeared to ignore a couple who scaled his platform to tell him people in the crowd were dying, didn't listen to their pleas for help. Even after police declared a mass-casualty event at the site, Scott continued to perform for <a href="https://www.insider.com/travis-scott-playing-after-police-astroworld-mass-casualty-event-report-2021-11">more than 30 minutes</a>.<div type="image" title="Travis Scott performed at Astroworld Festival on November 5, 2021." height="2579" width="3872" msid="87686341" hostid="261"></div>There are still a lot of unknowns: While Houston Police Chief Troy Finner has said that the concert's producers were asked to stop Scott's performance, he refused to say when that occurred, or how event organizers responded (Astroworld promoter Live Nation and Texas concert company ScoreMore did not respond to Insider's requests for comment on this story). The Houston Police Department's homicide division is leading an investigation into who, if anyone, is to blame for the tragedy. That investigation could take weeks to months, Finner has said. <h2>The deadly chaos at Astroworld followed rowdiness at several previous Travis Scott shows </h2>Friday wasn't Lira's first rodeo. She attended the 2019 Astroworld festival in Houston, and recalls crowding issues then as well, if on a lesser scale. "There was a lack of oxygen sometimes," she says. That year, <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-astroworld-2019-three-people-trampled-20211106-ulo2z6uderci5edpsqbz7s37e4-story.html">three people</a> were injured in a stampede to get into the festival.Local officials appeared to have concerns leading up to the 2021 event that concertgoers would be hard to control. Finner said that he <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.insider.com/police-met-travis-scott-astroworld-crowd-worries-before-deaths-nyt-2021-11&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1636735434690000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2L1LEenWCGrY9sHurB9fNQnWCGrY9sHurB9fNQ">met with Scott</a>, whose real name is Jacques Webster II, and the rapper's head of security beforehand to express "concerns regarding public safety." Finner also revealed that police presence at the event had more than tripled since the first year Astroworld was held, in 2018. During the inaugural festival, 170 Houston police officers were working the event, compared to 530 who were on duty Friday. Despite the increased security, fans again stormed the gates of the festival as it opened last week. Finner said this first crowd rush may have been due to people unable to afford or otherwise secure a ticket, or wanting to beat others to the merchandise stands.Scott has a well-documented history of encouraging such rowdy behavior at his events. Once tickets for this year's festival sold out in May, Scott wrote in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/COf4Sqfjogg/?hl=en">Instagram post</a> that he was "putting a plan together" to "get some more of the wild ones in" to the event, "even if I gotta sneak them in." At a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjaW3FQ0hE0">2017 concert</a> in New York City, video showed Scott egging on a fan to jump from a second floor balcony into the mosh pit. Twenty-seven-year-old <a href="https://www.insider.com/man-paralyzed-2017-travis-scott-gig-devastated-for-astroworld-victims-2021-11">Kyle Green</a> alleges he was left partially paralyzed from a fall at the same show, and is currently suing Scott in Manhattan Supreme Court, according to court records seen by Insider. In court filings, Scott's attorney has denied Green's allegations.<div type="image" title="Houston Police Chief Troy Finner" height="1333" width="2000" msid="87686343" hostid="261"></div>The rapper's antics have twice resulted in criminal charges. Scott's 2015 performance at the <a href="https://www.insider.com/travis-scott-astroworld-fiasco-follows-criminal-charges-previous-concerts-2021-11">Lollapalooza</a> music festival in Chicago, where he encouraged fans to vault over security barricades, was stopped after just five minutes. Though no one was injured, Scott was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was sentenced to <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/travis-scotts-2015-lollapalooza-charges-show-history-of-concert-chaos/2676687/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1636735537530000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0NW3I2yzXOSIOcQwlRU-zOyzXOSIOcQwlRU-zO">a year of court supervision</a>. Scott was arrested again two years later, after encouraging crowds to bypass security and rush the stage at a concert in northwest Arkansas. In that instance, several people were injured. Scott pleaded guilty to <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8098554/travis-scott-pleads-guilty-disorderly-conduct-riot-arkansas&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1636735550802000&amp;usg=AOvVaw13OZxTmc7DP1JaHFwsb795mc7DP1JaHFwsb795">misdemeanor disorderly conduct</a> and was ordered to pay a nearly $8,000 fine.<h2>Scott appeared to mention people struggling in the crowd several times during his set</h2>Travis Scott first appeared to acknowledge that concertgoers were in distress 24 minutes into his set. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjD2tDEqWTk">livestream</a> of his performance shows Scott spoke to a person working in the pit below the stage and asked them to help usher someone out of the crowd. Five minutes later, shortly after yelling to the crowd, "I wanna see some ragers, man. Who wanna rage man?", Scott pointed out an emergency vehicle driving into the crowd. "There's an ambulance in the crowd, woah, woah, woah," he said. "What the fuck is that?"Scott looked around and appeared confused before asking everyone in the crowd to put up their middle fingers if "everybody good." He then paused for a minute before launching into another song, saying, "Ya'll know what ya'll came to do." As two people on stage dove into the mosh pit, he said, "I want to make this motherfucking ground shake god damnit."About eight minutes later, at 9:38 p.m, Houston Police declare a mass-casualty event at the concert, according to a timeline from <a href="https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/how-did-the-astroworld-travis-scott-tragedy-happen-heres-a-timeline-before-during-and-after/287-3beb1e52-1328-444c-aa84-8d737c015179">WFAA</a>.About 10 minutes after the ambulance drove into the crowd, a disturbance in the mosh pit to the left of the stage appeared to catch Scott's eye and he called for the music to be turned down. "We need somebody, help him, somebody passed out right here. ... Hold on, don't touch him, don't touch him, everybody just back up," Scott ordered. "Security somebody help, jump in real quick, keep going. Somebody jump in, come on, come on, let's get in there." The rapper then launched into another song. A <a href="https://twitter.com/ChaudharyParvez/status/1456986475929608201">brief clip</a> taken from the mosh pit shows a limp body being removed from the crowd, while Scott stares and sings in the background.Finner has said that Houston police told the event's producers to stop the show when at least one person in the crowd was receiving CPR. But he wouldn't give details on what time that request was made, nor would he say if the producers ignored the request. The decision to end a show early is made jointly between law enforcement and producers, Finner pointed out. He previously told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/astroworld-festival-what-to-know.html">The New York Times</a> that you "can't just close" a festival of 50,000 people. "We have to worry about rioting, riots, when you have a group that's that young," he told the newspaper. (When reached for comment on this story, a Houston Police Department spokesperson referred Insider back to Finner's press conferences.)The performance went on for about 30 more minutes after Scott noticed the passed-out concertgoer. Drake joined him for a few songs near the end of the set. As Scott played his closing song, "Goosebumps," fireworks lit up the sky behind the stage.<div type="image" title="Astroworld cancelled sign" height="1333" width="2000" msid="87686345" hostid="261"></div>When reached for comment by Insider on Thursday, representatives for Scott said, "it is completely inaccurate to say that Travis was aware of anything while on stage." Scott's attorney, Edwin F. McPherson, went into further detail during an interview with <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/video/travis-scotts-attorney-rapper-didnt-deadly-crowd-chaos-81127839">"Good Morning America"</a> that aired Friday, saying that Scott was not informed that a mass casualty event had been declared mid-show. "That never got to Travis, that never got to Travis' crew," he said.Scott didn't understand "the full effect of everything" that went on while he was performing until the next morning, McPherson told GMA. "Truly, he did not know what was going on," the lawyer said. "Understand that when he's up on the stage, and he has flash pots going off around him, and he has an ear monitor that has music blasting through it in his own voice, he can't hear anything, he can't see anything."<h2>Concertgoers were "kicked, stepped on, and trampled, and nearly crushed to death"</h2>Lira estimates she was out cold for around five minutes. When she regained consciousness, she recalls, she was still buried in a sea of bodies. "All of a sudden I had a big gasp of air and there was light over top of me again," she tells Insider. Someone pulled her up from the ground, but she found that she couldn't stand on one knee, which had been injured in her fall. As Lira tried to find something to hold onto for support, she noticed a person on the ground with blue lips. Medics reached the area, and Lira finally made her exit, following as they carried the body on a stretcher back through the crowd.Once she found the medical tent, Lira saw medics performing CPR on concertgoers. Someone offered to wrap her knee and call an ambulance, she recalls, but she declined because she doesn't have health insurance and went off in search of her friends instead.<div type="image" title="Astroworld memorial" height="1333" width="2000" msid="87686347" hostid="261"></div>Compared to some of the other injuries reported at the festival, Lira made it out relatively unscathed. Among those seriously injured is 9-year-old Ezra Blount, who was on his father's shoulders when the crowd crush happened. The father, Treston Blount, lost consciousness, and the boy fell to the ground, where he was "kicked, stepped on, and trampled, and nearly crushed to death," according to a <a href="https://www.insider.com/father-of-boy-coma-after-astroworld-trampling-sues-travis-scott-2021-11">lawsuit</a> the father filed. Ezra continues to fight for his life in a medically-induced coma on life support.Scott recorded a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BiFrfiuHAE">video</a> after the concert, saying his "fans really mean the world to me" and that "any time I can make out … anything that's going on, I stop the show and help them get the help they need." He's offered <a href="https://variety.com/2021/music/news/travis-scott-refund-all-astroworld-tickets-buyers-day-n-las-vegas-headline-canceled-1235107124/">refunds</a> for festival tickets, and has committed to paying for the victims' <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.insider.com/travis-scott-pay-funeral-costs-astroworld-victims-2021-11&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1636735676867000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1s_KaDtWuLsT_16LXoikgotWuLsT_16LXoikgo">funerals</a>. "We've been working closely with everyone to just try get to the bottom of this," he said. "I'm honestly just devastated, I could never imagine anything like this just happening."<h2>Legal fallout came swiftly as concertgoers filed dozens of lawsuits</h2>Astroworld 2021 is quickly shaping up to be a legal nightmare for its organizers, with nearly <a href="https://www.insider.com/ben-crump-file-lawsuits-over-100-astroworld-victims-2021-11">150</a> lawsuits <a href="https://www.insider.com/astroworld-travis-scott-faces-more-than-30-lawsuits-2021-11">filed</a> within a week of the deadly crowd surge. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astroworld-victim-travis-scott-drake-live-nation-lawsuit-2021-11">Manuel Souza</a> filed suit the day after the incident, alleging he was trampled at the festival and asking for $1 million in damages. Souza's lawsuit calls the tragedy "months, if not years, in the making," citing one of Scott's now-deleted tweets encouraging fans to sneak into his concert, as well as multiple incidents that resulted in injuries at his previous performances.<div type="image" title="Cynthia Lira Astroworld" height="2715" width="2000" msid="87686349" hostid="261"></div>Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee is representing the family of victim Axel Acosta, who he told reporters was <a href="https://www.insider.com/astroworld-victim-was-trampled-like-a-piece-of-trash-lawyer-2021-11">"trampled ... like a piece of trash."</a> Buzzbee said that neither Scott nor the concert organizers "cared enough about Axel to make even a minimal effort to keep him and others at the concert safe."However, legal experts told <a href="https://www.insider.com/travis-scott-criminal-charges-not-likely-legal-experts-say-2021-11">Insider's Kenneth Niemeyer</a> that Scott is unlikely to face criminal charges in connection to the festival. Dmitry Shakhnevich, an adjunct assistant professor at the John Jay School of Criminal Justice, said there's a "slim" chance Scott would face criminal charges because investigators would have to prove the rapper intended to cause harm, or "at the very least" was grossly negligent. Neama Rahmani, president and cofounder of personal-injury firm West Coast Trial Lawyers, agreed. "You need something more than a tragic accident to get to criminal charges," he said.Three days after the concert, Lira went to see a doctor at the encouragement of friends, who said she could eventually sue the concert organizers and make them pay for her medical bills. She was experiencing pain in her knee and a numbness in her arm, and she had multiple bruises. A CT scan ultimately showed nothing abnormal and doctors told Lira she will heal with time. Unlike the bruises, the horror of being crushed in the crowd in front of the stage at Astroworld won't fade for Lira, who says she's completely changed her opinion of Scott, who she once counted among her favorite rappers."I know he saw the ambulance in the crowd, and he did not stop the concert … he was looking at the people passing out, yet he still continued to sing. That's ridiculous," she says. "I will not be supporting him any longer."

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