Drakeo the Ruler's Mother Settles Live Nation Case Over 2021 Festival Killing
Darrylene Corniel, the mother of rapper Drakeo the Ruler, has settled her wrongful-death case against Live Nation over his fatal stabbing backstage at a Los Angeles festival in December 2021, according to court records reported by Rolling Stone.
Corniel sued as administrator of her son's estate, the person legally responsible for handling his affairs after death. Her agreement also covers several other defendants tied to the event: C3 Presents, Contemporary Services Corporation, Black Tide Events, Bobby Dee Presents and Hollywood Elite Security.
The terms were not disclosed. The filing described the deal as conditional. That means the case will be dismissed once specified terms are completed to the parties' satisfaction within 45 days.
Drakeo the Ruler's legal name was Darrell Caldwell. He was stabbed in the neck on 18 December 2021, shortly before he was due to perform at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival. He died from his injuries.
The settlement closes only Corniel's claims. It does not end separate cases still moving through the courts in Los Angeles.
One wrongful-death claim continues on behalf of Drakeo's son, Caiden Caldwell, through the child's guardian. A wrongful-death claim is a civil action brought by family members seeking damages after a death. Related negligence claims also continue. They were brought by Drakeo's younger brother, rapper Devante Caldwell, known as Ralfy the Plug, by bodyguard Alrick David Cooper III, and by friends who were backstage at the time. Those consolidated claims remain set for trial.
No arrests have been made in the killing. The California Highway Patrol took the lead on the homicide investigation because the stabbing happened on state-owned property.
Court papers have named YG, whose legal name is Keenon Daequan Ray Jackson, in the wider dispute over festival security. Authorities have not identified Jackson as a suspect or person of interest in the killing.
The case has been contested for almost five years. Live Nation had argued in earlier filings that the stabbing was unforeseeable and that it could not be held liable for the attack, an argument reported by the Los Angeles Times. A Los Angeles judge denied the company's bid to dismiss the lawsuit in January 2023, allowing the claims to proceed, as reported by Rolling Stone.
Early suits over the death alleged a lack of proper safety measures at the organised event. Corniel was not part of the first wrongful-death filing brought in early 2022 on behalf of Drakeo's young son, which sought $25 million in damages.
