Nike postpones launch of Travis Scott's new sneakers in the wake of Astroworld tragedy
Nike said it will delay the launch of Travis Scott's new sneakers in wake of the deadly crowd surge at the Astroworld music festival that was founded and headlined by the rap superstar. Ten people, including a 9-year-old boy, died after attending the Houston concert earlier this month.
"Out of respect for everyone impacted by the tragic events at the Astroworld Festival, we are postponing the launch of the Air Max 1 x Cactus Jack," Nike said in a statement.
The Air Max 1 x Cactus Jack was a collaboration between Scott and Nike. It is not yet clear when the company will release the shoes.
Travis Scott and other festival organizers are facing dozens of civil lawsuits stemming from the November 5 incident. Scott has said he will pay for the funeral expenses of the victims, and said he was "absolutely devastated by what took place."
In addition to the 10 deceased victims, over 300 people were treated on site for injuries at the show and at least 25 were hospitalized. No one has been criminally charged in the incident, though the investigation is ongoing.
Many have criticized Scott for not stopping the show as soon as the chaos began. But Travis Scott's spokesperson, former Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, told "CBS Mornings" on Friday that the idea that Scott could have halted the Astroworld music festival is "ludicrous."
"They have a 59-page operations plan, and it clearly says the only two people that are, have the authority to stop the concert, were the executive producer and the concert producer. He was not responsible for this, but he wants to be responsible for the solution," said Rawlings-Blake.