On Tuesday, we told you about Travis Scott’s new initiative, Project HEAL dedicated to addressing the various challenges of today’s marginalized youth and at-risk communities spawned by the Astroworld tragedy back in November. And while the news may seem like a good thing, some folks aren’t exactly feeling Scott’s latest move.
According to Rolling Stone, the grandmother of Astroworld’s youngest victim, Ezra Blount, spoke out against Scott and the new initiative—calling it a “PR stunt” and an attempt to “make himself look good.”
“It’s a PR stunt,” Tericia Blount explained. “He’s pretty much trying to sway the jurors before they’re even assembled. 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.”
The day after Scott’s announcement, the lawyer representing Ezra’s father, Treston, filed an emergency motion citing the fact it may have violated a gag order in place due to the myriad of active lawsuits the “Out West” rapper is currently facing.
Scott’s spokesperson Stephanie Rawlings Black subsequently responded, saying in a statement:
“It is also disappointing that Mr. Hilliard [Treston Blount’s lawyer] 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. Mr. Hilliard’s outburst holds no merit and is just a publicity stunt when the court expressly prohibited the very same actions that Mr. Hillaird has engaged in.”
Additionally, on Thursday, Scott and his legal teamed filed paperwork in defense of freedom to speak freely about his “ongoing philanthropic work,” citing his First Amendment rights under the law.