Ye, the rapper and multi-hyphenate artist formerly known as Kanye West, is reportedly to be sued for $250 million by George Floyd’s family.
Citing “harassment, misappropriation, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress,”A release was signed by the Floyd family members and their representatives, which stated that the lawsuit is imminent. The suit is in response to the false claims Ye made over Floyd’s murder during a recent appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast.
Roxie Washington, the mother of Floyd’s daughter, who is still a minor, will file the suit through the Witherspoon Law Group and Dixon & Dixon Attorneys at Law. The two firms jointly represent Floyd’s only child and the sole beneficiary of his estate.
Ye and his family will also be targeted by the suit “business partners” “associates,” arguing that Ye’s false comments, in which he said Floyd died of a fentanyl-induced drug overdose, had done irreparable harm to Floyd’s surviving family.
“Free Speech Rights do not include harassment, lies, misrepresentation, and the misappropriation of George Floyd’s legacy. Some words have consequences and Mr. West will be made to understand that,”In a statement, Kay Harper Williams, attorney at The Witherspoon Law Group, said.
Attorney Nuru Witherspoon, partner at The Witherspoon Law Group added that the interests of Floyd’s child come first, and that she “is being retraumatized by Kanye West’s comments and he’s creating an unsafe and unhealthy environment for her.”
“Kanye’s comments are a repugnant attempt to discount George Floyd’s life and to profit from his inhumane death. We will hold Mr. West accountable for his flagrant remarks against Mr. Floyd’s legacy,” stated Attorney Pat D. Dixon, III, partner at Dixon & Dixon Attorneys at Law.
While the full interview has been removed from YouTube and Revolt TV, clips from Ye’s “Drink Champs” podcast appearance still live online, with one in particular going viral this week showing Ye attempt to explain Floyd’s cause of death as fentanyl, referencing Candace Owens’ new documentary “The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM.”
“If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that,”Ye said this about Derek Chauvin (ex-police officer), who was convicted for homicide in the case.
This is the latest newsworthy development in an otherwise troubled month for Ye. It includes his purchase of alt-right social media platform Parler and his controversial wearing of a controversial t-shirt. “White Lives Matter” T-shirt and his interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson in which he expressed various anti-Semitic views.
This report was contributed by Pamela Chelin
