May 19--Steve Aoki just wrapped up a well-received mini-festival in the heart of downtown L.A. But his crowd-engaging antics didn't go over so well with one fan at a 2012 concert.
The DJ and producer is being sued by a concertgoer after a San Diego show where Aoki jumped into the crowd riding an inflatable pool raft. The plaintiff, Brittany Hickman, claimed in her suit that she became trapped under the raft and broke her neck and ankle.
Hickman told San Diego's ABC 10 News that "I was trapped underneath the pool raft because they threw it out right where I was standing. My friends told me he landed on top of the pool raft, hit me on top of the head and I got knocked over," said Hickman.
The lawsuit, first filed in 2013, is now going to court in San Diego. The suit also names the venue, San Diego's Hard Rock Hotel, as a defendant.
The suit also comes at a promising but difficult time for Aoki, who recently had to cancel a run of shows to have vocal cord surgery. The producer just released his high-profile new album "Neon Future II," and his "LAoki" concert highlighted his friendly, collaborative relationship with L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Representatives for Aoki told The Times, in a statement on Aoki's behalf, that "I would never want anyone to get hurt at any of my shows and feel badly that someone has, but at this time I have been advised by my attorneys to not speak about this as it's going to trial. Thank you for your understanding."
Fans at his his downtown L.A. show didn't go entirely unscathed either. Eight fans suffered minor injuries after a concertgoer pulled down a camera boom stand during the show. Three fans went to the hospital, but their injuries were not serious and no one was arrested during the show, according to LAFD and LAPD reports in the L.A. Weekly.
