Rapper Travis Scott arrested in Miami after drunken fight with yacht owners
The musician, who has two children with Kylie Jenner and is about to start his European tour, paid a $650 fine after an early morning dispute on a dock. When the police arrived, he told them: ‘It’s Miami’
Rapper Travis Scott, who is more known for his on-again-off-again relationship with Kylie Jenner — the youngest of the Kardashian sisters, with whom he has two children — was arrested early Thursday morning in Miami, Florida. The 33-year-old Texan musician was charged by police with two charges: trespassing property (a yacht, in this case) and disorderly intoxication.
The rapper was reported to be drunk, but it is not known whether he had also consumed drugs. Florida law prohibits appearing drunk or on illicit substances; consuming alcoholic beverages in public places or on public transportation; and causing a disturbance. In addition to the arrest, Scott was fined $150 for disorderly intoxication and $500 for trespassing. As read in the official documents of the case, the musician told the police officers: “It’s Miami.”
The incident took place at the Miami Beach Marina, a port south of the city’s beach area, just before 2 a.m. Authorities were alerted to an incident on a yacht, which appeared to be a fight. When they arrived, according to an affidavit obtained by People magazine, Scott was “yelling at the vessel occupants.” Close sources told media outlets such as Page Six that “there was no physical altercation”; he screamed and the yacht owners (whose identity is unknown) wanted to throw him off the boat.
“Officers made contact with [Scott] to conduct an investigation,” the affidavit reads. “The defendant was asked by officers to sit down, at which point [he] temporarily sat down and then began continuously standing back up, disregarding officers’ commands. Throughout the interaction, officers on scene could sense a strong smell of alcohol coming from the defendants’ breath.”
The owners of the yacht did not want to press charges, they only asked the rapper to get off the boat, and leave the dock. The police also asked him to leave. But according to the affidavit, during the walk from the vessel to the boardwalk, Scott walked backwards and yelled “obscenities” to the occupants of the yacht. In fact, Scott returned just five minutes later, ignoring both the police and owners’ calls for him to leave. “[Scott] began yelling once again, becoming erratic, disturbing the peace of the occupants of the marina and nearby residential buildings, causing a public disturbance.” It is at this point that police decide to arrest him and take him back to the station.
Jacques Bermon Webster II — the artist’s real name — was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 4:35 a.m. No further charges or investigation are expected as the fine has been paid. The performer is about to start an ambitious tour called Circus Maximus that will take him to around 20 European cities. The tour, which begins on June 28, will present his latest album, Utopia, which has been very well received. For the moment, it is not likely that the arrest will affect the concert dates.
The rapper, who has been nominated for a Grammy 10 times, is known for his erratic behavior, with many even calling him megalomaniac. For his upcoming tour, he wanted to perform in the Pyramids of Giza, but Egypt did not support the plan, arguing that the “strange rituals” that the rapper allegedly performs during his live performances go against “Egyptian and Arab customs and traditions.”
The rapper’s most tragic concert took place November 2021, when an avalanche killed 10 people and injured dozens more during his performance at the Astroworld festival in Houston (Texas). After the tragedy, Scott said in a statement that he was “absolutely devastated” and promised to cover the funeral expenses of the victims. Scott’s shows are known for being chaotic and disorderly, and in this case, it got out of hand. Security forces, who had a 56-page plan (and 20 ambulances at the gate, although more than 60 were needed) were unable to deal with what happened to the 50,000 attendees. Nearly 60 lawsuits were filed. Scott did not face criminal charges, but remains implicated in the civil cases because of poor organization of the event.
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