HOUSTON -- Issues related to media publicity and a gag order as well as a concern over a lack diversity among attorneys representing those killed or injured during last year’s deadly Astroworld music festival were discussed during a court hearing on Tuesday.The hearing was the first time lawyers handling the nearly 500 lawsuits filed after 10 people died and hundreds of others were injured during a massive crowd surge at the Nov. 5 concert headlined by rapper Travis Scott had met in court after the cases were consolidated before one judge.After being appointed last month by a judicial panel overseen by the Texas Supreme Court to handle all pretrial matters in the lawsuits, state District Judge Kristen Hawkins issued a gag order in the case.During Tuesday’s hearing, Hawkins clarified her order, saying lawyers could tell the media about factual issues that happen in court, but she didn’t want attorneys to make their cases in the court of public opinion and possibly influence the jury pool.“This case should be tried in the courtroom and not on social media or with press releases or other statements to the media,” Hawkins said.Brent Coon, an attorney who is representing about 1,500 concertgoers and is asking for $10 billion in damages, said after the hearing he understands the judge’s goal of “let’s keep who’s pointing the finger at who, let that be courtroom issues and jury issues ultimately.”“But this is a case of public import for all the reasons that are obvious,” Coon said.Most of Wednesday’s court hearing was spent discussing how the cases would proceed, the creation of a leadership structure that would speak on behalf of attorneys for each side, how disputes over evidence or other matters would be handled.
Astroworld festival tragedy: Houston creates task force to review event safety
10.02.2022 - 05:27 / foxnews.com
A new task force will look into how to improve the safety at large Houston-area events in the hopes of avoiding another tragedy like last year's deadly Astroworld music festival, officials said Wednesday. The task force will review possible safety upgrades, look at ways of improving communication between different agencies and departments and make recommendations "to ensure consistent operational standards for future events," Mayor Sylvester Turner said. A massive crowd surge at the Astroworld music festival led to the deaths of 10 concertgoers.
( Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File) Questions have been raised about a possible lack of coordination between officials who work for the city of Houston and surrounding Harris County, and festival promoter Live Nation over several issues before the Nov. 5 concert. Among the questions were whether there was sufficient security and medical personnel and whether there was sufficient coordinated planning for responding to emergency situations like the massive crowd surge that led to 10 deaths.
"We know that the city and county can do better," Turner said. The 10 people who died were among 50,000 who attended the festival headlined by rapper Travis Scott. Those killed died from compression asphyxia.
A medical expert said the pressure from the crowd surge was so great that it quickly squeezed all the air from the victims' lungs, causing them to pass out within a minute or so and die because critical organs were depleted of oxygen. Those who died ranged in age from 9 to 27 years old. Roughly 300 people were injured and treated at the scene, and 25 were taken to hospitals.
Kevin Costner Shares What He'll 'Never Forget' About His 'Bodyguard' Co-Star Whitney Houston
Kevin Costner is remembering his late The Bodyguard co-star Whitney Houston.
‘The Bodyguard’ star Kevin Costner reflects on Whitney Houston’s death
Kevin Costner has paid fresh tribute to Whitney Houston as he reflected on her death at the SAG Awards.The actor starred in the hit 1992 film alongside the late singer, who passed away in 2012, playing the titular bodyguard to Houston’s character Rachel Marron.Speaking on the SAG red carpet last night (February 27), Costner was asked about how he keeps the late star’s spirit alive 10 years after her death.“When movies are working at their very best, they’re about moments and images that you’ll never ever forget,” he told People.Referring to Houston’s hit cover of Dolly Parton‘s ‘I Will Always Love You’, the star continued: “I don’t think we’ll ever forget when that little song came out, that she just blew up. She sang the first part of it a cappella and musically the world was never the same.“We have a moment of her in that movie we’ll never ever forget that and I think that when movies are working at their best, that’s what can happen.”Houston passed away on February 11, 2012 after accidentally drowning in a bathtub following a drug overdose.The Bodyguard became a huge hit when it was released, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time in 1992, while its soundtrack still holds the record for the biggest-selling soundtrack of all time.
Black History Month 2022 Playlist: Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Megan Thee Stallion, Whitney Houston and More
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Monica Breaks Down in Tears Recalling Whitney Houston's Influence on Her (Exclusive)
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Sony Dates Tom Hanks Vehicle ‘A Man Called Otto’ for Christmas Alongside Whitney Houston Biopic
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Bobby Brown Talks Tragic Deaths Of Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina & Bobby Brown Jr. And How New Edition Helped Him Cope
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Manchester Pride scraps MCR Pride Live festival as part of significant changes to 2022 event
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Kanye West says Kid Cudi won’t be on ‘Donda 2’ over Pete Davidson friendship
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10 Years After Whitney Houston’s Death, the Singer’s Estate Sees Quadruple Growth in Earnings
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After Billie Eilish Stops Her Concert To Help A Fan With Asthma, Her Perceived Insult To Travis Scott Has Ye Pushing For An Apology
No Time To Die singer Billie Eilish, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Harry Styles headlining the two-weekend festival. However, Ye is currently threatening to pull out from Coachella following recent words by Eilish.
Kanye West Says He Won't Perform At Coachella Unless Billie Eilish Apologizes For Travis Scott Diss!
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Kanye West threatening to pull out of Coachella over perceived Billie Eilish diss
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Berlin Film Festival Gets Underway With Messages Of Determination As Event Presses On Amid Question Marks
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Whitney Houston’s Death: Everything We Know About How She Died 10 Years Later
On the eve of what was to be her big comeback with a powerhouse performance at the 2012 Grammy Awards, Whitney Houston tragically died, leaving a legacy as one of the greatest vocalists ever to grace the stage. The iconic singer, famous for her moving ballads as well as her chart-busting pop tunes, was only 48 years old when she passed on February 11, 2012. Now a decade later, HollywoodLife details everything to know about Whitney’s devastating death and the days that led up to it. Keep reading to learn more, below.
Inside Whitney Houston’s devastating final weekend, 10 years later
her death on Feb. 11, 2012, Whitney Houston showed up to rehearsals for mentor Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy gala, a glitzy night of music and mingling that she was planning to attend. The star-studded bash — which, held the night before the awards, is always one of the hottest tickets of Grammy weekend — was taking place at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton hotel, where the singer was also staying.Houston’s longtime musical director Rickey Minor was putting the band through its paces for the event, and he noticed immediately that something was different about the woman who was like his “little sister.”“She pops into rehearsal, and we hadn’t even started, and it’s 10:30 in the morning,” Minor told The Post.