Lil Peep's Mother Sues Rapper's Management Alleging Wrongful Death

– ANAHEIM, CA – SEPTEMBER 08: Rapper Lil Peep performs onstage during the Day N Night Festival at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 8, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

The mother of Lil Peep, the rapper who died in 2017 following a drug overdose, has filed suit against the artist’s managers at First Access Entertainment claiming negligence, breach of contract and wrongful death, as reported by the New York Times.

The suit alleges Lil Peep’s handlers ignored the rapper’s health and pushed the rapper with illegal drugs and unprescribed medication. The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court seeks unspecified damages.

The suit names First Access Entertainment, the company’s Sarah Stennett and Bryant Ortega, as well as tour manager Belinda Mercer.

First Access has not responded to Pollstar’s request for comment.

The suit accuses Lil Peep’s handlers of promoting drug use in order to maintain control of the artist and cites one alleged instance before his death in which he told his team he did not want to perform, to which he was allegedly instructed to take enough Xanax to become ill and trigger insurance coverage for the cancellation, according to the suit.

Lil Peep, real name Gustav Ahr, died in late 2017 aged 21 before a tour stop in Arizona, following an accidental overdose of fentanyl and anxiety-treating alprazolam. Booking agents Cara Lewis (North America) and X-Ray Touring Steve Strange (UK) told paid their condolences to Pollstar, with Cara Lewis Group saying in a statement at the time: “He was so full of life and just beginning his promising career. Lil Peep touched everyone he met and had a profound bond with his fans. Lil Peep was a beloved client and we will miss him dearly.”

At the time, First Access Entertainment’s Stennett posted to Facebook that she was shocked and had spoken with the artist’s mother, Liza Womack.

“I am shocked and heartbroken. I do not believe Peep wanted to die, this is so tragic,” Stennett’s statement reads. “He had big goals and dreams for the future which he had shared with me, his team, his family and his friends. He was highly intelligent, hugely creative, massively charismatic, gentle and charming. He had huge ambition and his career was flourishing.

“I have spoken to his mother and she asked me to convey that she is very, very proud of him and everything he was able to achieve in his short life. She is truly grateful to the fans and the people who have supported and loved him.”

Lil Peep’s touring career was just getting started, with West Coast club dates including the Echo in Los Angeles, as well as a larger fall run that also took in the East Coast and Southern U.S. He also had a handful of overseas dates, with appearances at Reeperbahn festival in Germany and headline shows including The O2 Islington in London.