Update 02/03/2022 9:45am:
According to Pitchfork, Tianna Purtue, the mother of Drakeo the Ruler's 5-year-old son, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Live Nation on behalf of their son. Drakeo was stabbed backstage during the Once Upon a Time festival concert at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on December 19.
The lawsuit alleges that Live Nation was "completely knowledgeable of the potential dangers posed to both their guests and the performers they hired based on numerous past incidents of violence and death at their hip hop events." C3 Presents, Bobby Dee Presents, Los Angeles Football Club (owners of Banc of California Stadium), and Jeff Shuman are also named in the lawsuit as defendants.
The lawsuit also points out that while Drakeo was wearing a blue bandanna at the concert, lawyers state that he was "not and never has been a member of any gang" and was "constantly being challenged by various gangs for his refusal to 'choose' a side." Lawyers also argue that members of the Bloods were looking to get revenge after Drakeo was acquitted for the murder of a member of the Bloods.
The beef between Drakeo the Ruler and YG was also mentioned in the lawsuit, with lawyers stating that "there is no evidence to indicate that YG had anything to do with the events." However, the lawsuit alleges that promoters at the event should've been more aware of the safety at the event, as both Drakeo and YG were scheduled to perform.
Drakeo's son is seeking $25 million or more in non-economic damages for life without his father, $25 million or more in economic damages for loss of earnings and financial support, $10 million or more for Drakeo the Ruler’s suffering prior to his death, as well as additional damages and expenses.
Source: Pitchfork
Original 01/28/2022 10:30am:
The death of Drakeo the Ruler is still very fresh, with authorities currently investigating what went down at the ‘Once Upon a Time in LA’ festival. Now, reports surfaced noting that Drakeo’s family is planning a wrongful death suit against the event's promoters.
The family of the rapper claim that a lack of security allowed many men to rush Drakeo, who was ultimately stabbed backstage at the event as a result of their alleged carelessness. Attorney James Bryant spoke on the incident, saying, “Mr. Caldwell was lynched by 40 to 60 people. This would never have happened if those promoters had the proper security protocol. The world lost an amazing artist, a beautiful human being, a father.” Attorneys for the family made it clear they would be filing a wrongful death and negligence suit against promoters for the festival, including Live Nation.
As of now, the only response issued by the festival found them saying, “Once Upon a Time in LA joins Drakeo’s family, friends, and fans in grieving his loss. The festival is continuing to support local authorities in their investigation as they pursue the facts.” Stay tuned for more updates.
source: ABC News
