Nike has decided to postpone the release of its collaboration with rapper Travis Scott — the “Air Max 1 x Cactus Jack” — due to his November 5 performance at Astroworld Music Festival in Houston, Texas, and its chaotic crowd surge which has left ten people dead.
“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 Monday.
The decision came one day after a 9-year-old boy who was trampled at the event died from his injuries, bringing the Astroworld death toll to ten.
Nike is not the only company to have recently suspended its partnership with the rapper in the wake of the music festival tragedy.
Last week, the online game Fortnite deleted an emote that included an audio snippet of Scott’s track “Out West” from its shop. An emote is a dance move or action that characters can perform during an online game.
Moreover, a petition to stop the rapper from performing at next year’s Coachella Festival has attracted thousands of supporters. Music lover Sendero Secretos, who started the petition, claims “tragic and unnecessary deaths” at Astroworld occurred “due to Scott’s own gross negligence and sheer lack of compassion for human life.”
And concertgoers who say they were injured during Scott’s performance at Astroworld have filed lawsuits against Scott and others involved in Astroworld.
More than 100 lawsuits have been filed against Scott, rapper Drake — who appeared as a surprise performer alongside Scott — and the venue and entertainment company Live Nation. One lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages reportedly accuses the rapper of negligently inciting “a riot and violence.”
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