Travis Scott is sought by New York Police after alleged assault and criminal mischief
Rapper Travis Scott is wanted for questioning after allegedly punching a sound engineer and smashing $12,000 worth of equipment at a Manhattan nightclub early Wednesday morning.
A spokesman for the New York City Police Department told The Times that officers from the Midtown Precinct South responded to a call from Club Nebula around 3:25 a.m. after a sound engineer said he was “engaged in a verbal dispute” with Scott, which escalated into a physical altercation.
The “Sicko Mode” rapper performed a guest DJ set at an after-party following fellow rapper Don Toliver’s Irving Plaza concert before things reportedly went haywire. Scott allegedly punched the 52-year-old engineer in the face, according to the NYPD, and the victim was in no pain or visible injuries and refused medical attention at the scene.
The 31-year-old rapper, who has not been arrested, is also charged with damaging an audio speaker and video screen before leaving the nightclub, causing about $12,000 in damage.
While Scott is wanted for questioning on a sexual assault and criminal mischief charge, the NYPD says the investigation is ongoing.
“It all happened very quickly,” Legends of the Night promoter Vadym Petrov told The Times in a written response to an Instagram question on Wednesday. “Security asked us not to answer.”
Petrov also said that Scott left the club immediately after the incident. And while he didn’t see everything that happened, he did notice that Scott was visibly angry with the sound man. The promoter also shared one Instagram message and story showing Scott at the event, standing behind the DJ booth, captioned “Last night before @travisscott got wild.”
In a statement provided to The Times by Scott’s representative, Ted Anastasiou, on Wednesday, Club Nebula managing partner Ritchie Romero said, “This has been blown completely out of proportion.”
Dorian Harrington, the talent booker who booked Toliver for his after-party at Club Nebula, reportedly was on stage with Travis during his surprise DJ set. “This is a total misunderstanding,” he said in another statement Anastasiou gave to The Times. “What I saw on stage does not match what I read in the news. The music and the night were great and everyone left peacefully.”
Scott’s attorney, Mitchell Schuster, also insists the incident was nothing more than a misunderstanding.
“While this is clearly a misunderstanding blown out of proportion by clickbait and misinformation, we are actively working with the venue and law enforcement to resolve and rectify the issue,” Schuster said in a statement, also from Anastasiou. “We are confident that our client will be cleared of any wrongdoing.”
Scott, who is no stranger to controversy, will headline the Rolling Loud festival in Inglewood this weekend. It will be his first local appearance since his Astroworld concert in November 2021, where 10 people were killed in a deadly mob.