Megan Thee Stallion
WireImageMegan Thee Stallion has canceled an upcoming concert in Houston, Texas, “out of respect” for the victims of Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival. The concert was set to take place on Friday, Dec. 3 at 713 Music Hall.
“Out of respect for the lives lost in Houston earlier this month, I have decided to cancel my show at 713 Music Hall on Dec. 3,” the rapper said in a statement first given to the Houston Chronicle. “Houston is still healing, and it’s important that our community be given the appropriate time to grieve. My heart goes out to all the families that are suffering during this difficult time.”
The concert was intended to commemorate the opening of 713 Musical Hall, a new venue in Houston, Megan Thee Stallion’s hometown. It was also meant as a celebration of the rapper’s new bachelor’s degree in health administration, which she is set to receive on Dec. 11 from Texas Southern University.
So far hundreds of lawsuits have been filed by Astroworld attendees who say the event left them with injuries and psychological trauma. A new lawsuit was filed last week by the family of John Hilgert. The 14-year-old was one of 10 people killed during a brutal crowd rush during Scott’s Astroworld.
Earlier this week, Scott’s offer to cover the funeral expenses for nine-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest victim to die at Astroworld, was rebuffed by the boy’s family in a heartbreaking letter obtained by Rolling Stone. The families of several other victims have also refused Scott’s offer.
The world leader, who has repeatedly faced criticism for featuring songs from artists who do not want their music connected to his political views, shared a viral clip of We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love) that focused on the lyric: “Me and my truth we sit in silence.”
The footage shows Trump at a rally while the statement “Men can’t have babies and should never compete in women’s sports” appears on screen.
The Team Trump TikTok account posted the video with the caption: “This shouldn’t be controversial! #trump #arianagrande #maga.”
Ariana responded in a comment that was later removed, saying: “Never use my music again. Also, your truth is false.”
Trump has a well known record of opposing transgender rights, and the US Supreme Court recently ruled that states can prohibit transgender women from taking part in women’s sports. In a 6 to 3 ruling, the justices determined that such laws do not breach Title IX or the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.
The decision in June came after several other actions by the Trump administration involving transgender policies. Earlier in May, the Supreme Court also permitted the administration to continue with its “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” order, which would prevent transgender individuals from serving in the US military.
Ariana’s statement arrived soon after Taylor Swift also took steps to stop Trump from using her music on TikTok. Trump had featured a number of her songs in his social media posts, including a video of him and his wife Lady Melania Trump watching fireworks accompanied by August.
The song was later taken off the post and replaced by a notice that read: “This sound isn’t available.”
Trump appeared to deliberately select Taylor’s track, adding the message: “I’m sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song!”
He also responded to the Team Trump video with: “Mood because it’s August and Donald Trump is your president.”
Other Taylor Swift songs that were removed from Trump’s TikTok content included The Fate of Ophelia and Father Figure.
Trump previously made headlines when he wrote “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on Truth Social after the singer publicly announced that she planned to support Kamala Harris in the previous presidential election.
