Drake, who made a surprise appearance with Travis Scott at Astroworld in Houston, has released his first public statement about the Nov. 5 tragedy that left eight concertgoers dead and scores more injured.
“I’ve spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy,” Drake wrote on Instagram Monday night. “I hate resorting to this platform to express an emotion as delicate as grief but this is where I find myself.”
He continued: “My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering. I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can. May God be with you all.”
Drake had performed at the festival alongside Scott on Friday, with over 50,000 people in attendance. Authorities said fans started to surge toward the stage during Scott’s performance, causing widespread panic among the crowd. Astroworld was meant to continue for a second night on Nov. 6, but was canceled following the tragedy.
Both Scott and Drake have been named in lawsuits over Astroworld. Scott, the founder of the festival, said on Monday that he will cover the funeral costs for the eight victims who died. He has also promised that all tickets from the event will be refunded, including for those who attended Friday and those who held tickets for Saturday’s scrapped event.
Scott has canceled his headlining performance at this weekend’s Day N Vegas festival in Las Vegas, and has been replaced by Post Malone.