Travis Scott, who partnered with BetterHelp to provide virtual therapy services for concertgoers has been accused by the media of “exploiting the Astroworld tragedy” and making a profit from the trauma of the victims.
On Friday, the 30-year-old rapper performed onstage at Astroworld Festival Houston when an uncontrollable crowd caused at least eight deaths and many more injuries.
Scott, who has had more than 40 lawsuits filed against him following the concert, released a statement on Monday pledging to cover all funeral costs and refund the cost of all tickets.
Also, he said that BetterHelp was his new partner and will provide online one-on-one therapy for concertgoers affected by the tragedy at Astroworld.
Criticism: Travis Scott (30) is being criticized for his partnership with BetterHelp, a therapy app that offers Astroworld users one month of counseling at no cost.
All allegations: Jeff Guenther was the co-founder and national director of TherapyDen. He claimed in TikTok videos that Scott and BetterHelp profited from the tragedy
The initiative received backlash, and people speculated Scott might financially profit from it. BetterHelp denied this speculation.
A source close to Astroworld told DailyMail.com Scott is fully funding the free mental health service himself and is in ‘no way’ making a profit off of the initiative.
Question: Issues have been raised about therapy apps, such as claims that they share data with third-party marketers.
According to the person, BetterHelp does not pay him any money and those who use the service are not automatically charged at the end.
The therapy app itself has been subject to renewed criticisms, with claims that it shares data with advertisers.
‘I can’t really explain how much this bums me out,’ podcast host Bridget Todd tweeted. “Therapy apps such as BetterHelp are available. [called]They have a sketchy and poorly regulated policy regarding privacy and data. The “partnership” is merely allowing these young people to be mined further and exploited financially.
She said that the children had already been at great risk. This is why streaming services and corporate interests could profit more from them. Pumping them into BetterHelp just confirms it — everything is for sale. Everything is “partnership potential,” even your own death.
Arguments
‘This is so s****y,’ activist Wagatwe Wanjuki agreed. ‘Betterhelp is not adequate trauma treatment, it pays therapists like s**t, and they collect data. One month is not enough.
Someone else sarcastically commented: ‘Hi, I’m Travis Scott and I’m largely responsible for the death of 8 people and trauma of the thousands. That’s why this month I’m partnering with BetterHelp so they can sell your information to a 3rd parties to target you with ads hoping you spend money when you’re depressed.’
A lot of users pointed out the fact that the app already offers one-month trials for free via partnership with Ariana Grande or Venus Williams, while Scott and BetterHelp were accused of making a profit from signups.
“DO NOT USE BETERHELP FOR THEAPY. THEY ARE SELLING YOUR DATA TO THIRD PARTY APPS TO GET MONEY. INFLUERS GET LOTS OF $$$ IN PERSONAL DATA TO CREATE AND EXPAND BUSINESSES. “DO NOT ALLOW TRAVIS SCOTT TO PROFIT FROM THE ASTROWORLD TRAGEDY,” one individual wrote.
Response: A source close to Astroworld told DailyMail.com Scott is fully funding the free mental health service himself and is in ‘no way’ making a profit off of it
Tragedy: Scott was performing on stage at the festival in Houston on Friday when a crowd surge left at least eight people dead and hundreds of others injured
Scott now faces more than 40 lawsuits due to the Festival’s backlash
“Did it just turn from a tragedy into a BetterHelp brand partnership?” Someone else asked and one added, “Travis Scott is the type of guy who can turn eight people’s deaths into a promotional post for BetterHelp. What a man!”
Many people shared Jeff Guenther’s recent TikTok video in which the licensed mental health therapist details how ‘BetterHelp, and possibly Travis Scott, are profiting off the Astroworld tragedy.’
Guenther was the co-founder, and Scott is earning big from the referrals he sends to BetterHelp.
“How can I find this?” “Because back in 2019, BetterHelp had tried to partner with me also, and they were waving tons of money in my face,’ he said.
Guenther previously warned against BetterHelp’s practices. He reiterated this warning in the recent @TherapyDen video that Scott has made about Scott’s relationship with the app.
“Just as a reminder, BetterHelp clearly states on their privacy policies that they may share your personal or private mental health data with third parties for marketing purposes and business purposes,” he stated.
“All children who sign up for the one-month free trial should know that they are being accessed to their personal data.”
DailyMail.com was informed by a source familiar with Astroworld that most of the social media information about Scott’s partnership is incorrect. He claimed that he’s making a profit and the claims that he’s making money are “disgusting.”
She said that there is not a sponsorship deal or branding agreement between BetterHelp, Travis Scott. It is disturbing [that]People are trying to make holes in this partnership and deter those who need mental health resources from seeking them.
BetterHealth addressed Scott’s claims via its website and insisted that Scott was not being paid.
The company denied that anyone participating in the initiative was waiving their legal rights, despite addressing misinformation online.
BetterHelp explained that Travis Scott’s group reached out to BetterHelp in response to the terrible Astroworld event. They offered to help cover therapy costs for the affected.
“As a mission-driven organisation, we’re proud and happy to help wherever we can. For example, with free therapy that we gave to those affected by Hurricane Dorian, El Paso shootings and evacuations to Afghanistan.
Amid the backlash, Scott and Live Nation — the entertainment company behind the Astroworld festival — are facing dozens of lawsuits.
Numerous injury attorneys including Ben Crump (a civil rights lawyer) claim that Scott, Live Nation and the other festival organizers failed to implement the security measures necessary to avoid the stampede that left scores of concert-goers injured and even killed.
Crump — who is representing victim Noah Gutierrez, 21 — said that the tragedy was ‘years in the making’ because of a history of injuries reported at Scott’s performances, including three hospitalizations at the same event in 2019.
Plaintiffs claim that Scott sang for over 30 minutes, despite many deaths and injuries. Fans screamed for Scott to quit singing.
Crump stated in a statement that he was hearing horrifying accounts about the terror and helplessness experienced by people, as well as the horror caused by a crowd of people and the terrible trauma of witnessing people die trying to save them.
Meanwhile, more than 28,000 people have signed an online petition attempting to block the rapper from performing as a headliner at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in California next April.
Crump set up a designated website for anyone else traumatized by the experience to reach out for legal assistance, which could be found at astroworldclaimshelp.com.
He added that he would pursue justice for any of his clients who suffered in the tragic, preventable incident.