US rapper Travis Scott released by French police without charge

PARIS – French police on Aug 10 released American star rapper Travis Scott after 36 hours in custody in Paris over suspected violence, a United States-based representative for the artiste and prosecutors said.

The 33-year-old, who has had multiple nominations for Grammy Awards, was arrested after fighting with one of his own security guards at a five-star hotel in Paris.

“Travis Scott has been released with no charges,” the representative said.

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the “release from custody of Travis Scott today as well as the dropping of the case over the offence being insufficiently established”.

The police had been called to the Georges V hotel early on Aug 9, where they arrested the rapper for “violence against a security agent”, who had intervened to separate the artiste from his bodyguard, the prosecutor’s office had said.

A US representative for Scott had said later that evening that the management was in “direct communication with Parisian authorities to swiftly resolve” the matter.

Scott was seen attending the Olympics men’s basketball semi-finals on the evening of Aug 8.

The rapper, whose real name is Jacques Bermon Webster II, has had previous brushes with the law in the US. He was arrested in Miami Beach in June for trespassing and disorderly intoxication. The police said he was involved in a fight on a yacht.

In November 2021, 10 people were killed in a crush at his show at a pop festival in his home city of Houston, Texas.

But Scott continues to be a prolific songwriter and producer. His Utopia (2023) was a nominee for Best Rap Album at the Grammy Awards in February. And he has merchandising deals with Nike, video game maker Epic Games and McDonald’s fast food chain.

Scott has two children aged two and six with American social media influencer and entrepreneur Kylie Jenner, 27. AFP