Meanwhile, the rapper's representative, Stephanie Rawlings Blake, says that it's 'disappointing' and 'beyond cynical' for the lawyer for Ezra Blount's family to accuse Scott of violating the gag order.
- Mar 10, 2022
AceShowbiz - Travis Scott (II)'s Project HEAL initiative wasn't welcomed by everyone. The grandparents of 9-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest victim in the Astroworld Fest tragedy, shared that they didn't think the $5M philanthropic initiative was genuine.
"It's a PR stunt," Tericia Blount said in an interview with Rolling Stone. "He's pretty much trying to sway the jurors before they're even assembled."
Blount's grandmother went on to say, "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." Bernon Blount, Ezra's grandfather, added, "Every time he does something like this, it's an ongoing reminder."
Meanwhile, Blount's lawyer, Robertt Hilliard, wrote in an emergency motion, "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," asking the judge to clarify whether the gag order equally applicable to all parties involved in the case.
As for the rapper's representative Stephanie Rawlings Blake, she said that it was "disappointing" and "beyond cynical" for Hilliard to accuse Scott of violating the gag order that Judge Kristen Hawkins signed off on back 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 programs for underprivileged students," Blake said.
Scott launched Project HEAL on Tuesday, March 8 following the November 5 tragedy at the 2021 Astroworld Festival. In a statement, the initiative is billed as a "multi-tier, longterm series of community-focused philanthropy and investment efforts."
"Over the past few months I've been taking the time and space to grieve, reflect, and do my part to heal my community. Most importantly, I want to use my resources and platform moving forward towards actionable change," Scott said on Instagram.
"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," he 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."
