Travis Scott’s newly launched Project HEAL initiative faced criticism from the grandparents of an Astroworld victim.
Tericia Blount, the grandmother of 9-year-old victim Ezra Blount, labeled Travis Scott’s Project HEAL a “PR stunt” while speaking to Rolling Stone. She believes the initiative is an attempt to curry favor with potential jurors as the rapper faces lawsuits for the Astroworld tragedy.
“He’s pretty much trying to sway the jurors before they’re even assembled,” Tericia Blount told Rolling Stone. “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.”
Ezra Blount’s grandfather Bernon Blount added, “Every time he does something like this, it’s an ongoing reminder.”
Travis Scott launched Project HEAL on Wednesday (March 9). He pledged to provide academic scholarships, mental health resources, tech-driven solutions for event safety and more in wake of the Astroworld tragedy.
“While it’s easy for corporations and institutions to stay in the shadows, I feel as a leader in my community, I need to step up in times of need,” he wrote on Instagram. “My team and I created Project HEAL to take much-needed action towards supporting real solutions that make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be. I will always honor the victims of the Astroworld tragedy who remain in my heart forever.”
Last November, Ezra Blount was one of the 10 victims who died from injuries suffered at the 2021 Astroworld Festival. Hundreds more were hurt, resulting in a myriad of lawsuits against Travis Scott and others involved in the event.
