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Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yolando Orozco has denied Live Nation’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought against them by Drakeo the Ruler’s brother, Devante Caldwell (aka Ralfy the Plug), Rolling Stone reports. Her ruling, obtained by RS, holds that the fact that no “prior similar incedent” to Drakeo’s tragic stabbing death at the Once Upon a Time in LA Festival in December 2021 had occurred at Banc of California Stadium is not — as the global entertainment company argued — sufficient grounds to dismiss Caldwell’s claims of negligence, premises liability, and emotional distress (both negligent and intentional).
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Caldwell filed his initial complaint last February, less than a month after Tianna Purtue, the mother of Drakeo’s then-five-year-old son, brought her own $60 million civil suit against Live Nation. Other defendants in the case include Once Upon a Time in LA promoters Bobby Dee Presents, Jeff Shuman, and Snoop Dog’s LLC, as well as Banc of California Stadium owners Major League Soccer and the Los Angeles Football Club.
“The ruling represents the court’s recognition of Live Nation’s and the other defendants’ role in the injustice suffered by Drakeo, his family, and friends,” Caldwell’s attorney, Jovan Blackwell, told Rolling Stone. “We are one step closer to providing justice and closure to this horrific experience.”
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The FADER has reached out to Blackwell and to representatives of Live Nation for independent confirmation of and further comment on today’s ruling.