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George Floyd’s family plans to sue Ye over podcast comments

(L) George Floyd (image released by Ben Crump). (R) Kanye West (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect that a lawsuit on behalf of George Floyd’s daughter is forthcoming but has not yet been filed.

(NewsNation) — The family of George Floyd has hired a lawyer with plans to sue rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, over comments he made on a podcast while talking about Floyd’s death, according to a news release.


In a recent appearance on the podcast “Drink Champs,” Ye made what the family’s attorneys called “blatantly false statements about George Floyd’s death.”

The rapper claimed Floyd died from an overdose, not from former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, a moment which was filmed by bystanders.

 “I watched the George Floyd documentary that Candace Owens put out,” Ye said, as reported by NewsNation partner The Hill. “One of the things that his two roommates said was they want a tall guy like me, and the day that he died, he said a prayer for eight minutes. They hit him with fentanyl. If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that.”

The lawsuit, which lawyers characterized as “forthcoming” would be filed by the mother of George Floyd’s daughter on her child’s behalf and seek $250 million in damages.

“(Ye)’s comments are a repugnant attempt to discount George Floyd’s life and to profit from his inhumane death,” attorney Pat D. Dixon said in a news release. “We will hold (Ye) accountable for his flagrant remarks against Mr. Floyd’s legacy.”

A  medical examiner’s report confirmed Floyd had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system at the time of his death, but the drugs were not listed as the cause. Testimony from the Hennepin County chief medical examiner showed it was the police officer’s compression of Floyd’s neck that killed him.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.