Family of George Floyd Files $250 Million Lawsuit Against Kanye West for Recent Controversial Statements
The mother of George Floyd's daughter is suing Kanye West for $250 million over recent controversial statements the rapper made about his death.
According to KPRC 2, the family of George Floyd issued a cease-and-desist letter to West for recent comments that he has made about the man whose 2020 death at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department sparked a movement against police brutality.
West, who now goes by Ye, appeared on a recent episode of the Drink Champs podcast and made controversial statements regarding the 2020 death of Floyd, claiming that he died as a result of fentanyl use.
Ye's comments contradict testimony from experts like Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker who said, under oath, that "Floyd’s heart disease and use of fentanyl were contributing factors to his death," but not the direct cause.
Baker is only one of the multiple medical experts who agreed that Floyd's death was due to Officer Derek Chauvin pressing his knee down on Floyd's neck for nearly 10 minutes.
Dr. Vik Bebarta, an emergency physician, toxicologist, and professor at the University of Colorado in Denver, said Floyd died because of how Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee down on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes as he told officers, “I can’t breathe.” He also backed up other experts who have faulted officers for failing to roll Floyd on his side, as they had reportedly been trained, so that he could breathe.
A news release from Witherspoon Law Group and Dixon & Dixon Attorneys at Law detailed the lawsuit filed by Roxie Washington, the mother of Gianna Floyd, regarding the "malicious falsehoods" spread by West in an effort to profit off of Floyd's death "and the family's trauma."
West made "false statements about George Floyd’s death to promote his brands, and increase marketing value and revenue for himself, his business partners, and associates.”
According to XXL, the Drink Champs episode featuring the controversial statements from Kanye West has been pulled, but clips still continue to circulate on social media.
Drink Champs podcast host NORE appeared in multiple interviews in the wake of the backlash over Ye's controversial statements, apologizing for allowing him the platform to make those hurtful comments.
According to the legal team representing the family of George Floyd, Ye is traumatizing George Floyd's daughter with his viral commentary while simultaneously "creating an unsafe and unhealthy environment for her.”
The interests of the child are the priority.
Meanwhile, Ye is doubling and tripling down on his continued controversial statements on Jews, Black Lives Matter, and how he is treated in celebrity culture.
An interview with Chris Cuomo went off the rails as the Ye literally shouted "La La La" while the News Nation host was trying to make a point.
Ye was recently locked out of his Twitter account and restricted on Instagram "amid backlash over antisemitic posts" as he is reportedly in serious talks to purchase the right-wing social media app Parler.
While West's mental and overall health has been a concern, it doesn't seem like it's granting him any passes when it comes to accountability for his words and actions over the past few weeks.