George Floyd’s Family Sues Kanye West For “Infliction Of Emotional Distress”
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Roxie Washington, the mother of George Floyd’s daughter Gianna Floyd, has moved to file a lawsuit against Kanye West after the rapper publicly attributed Floyd’s death to fentanyl. According to the Los Angeles Times, Washington is seeking $250 million in damages.
A news release that details the legal action against Ye notes “harassment, misappropriation, defamation” and “infliction of emotional distress” as reasoning for the suit. “Kanye West stated malicious falsehoods about George Floyd to profit from Mr. Floyd’s horrendous death and his family’s trauma,” reads the suit.
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Attorneys representing the Floyd family claim “Floyd’s daughter 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,” said attorney Pat D. Dixon in a statement.
The Jesus Is King artist falsely claimed George Floyd died of fentanyl in an episode of Drink Champs, which has been deleted from YouTube. West claimed to have been enlightened by the content presented in Candace Owen’s film project, The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM.
N.O.R.E. half of the Drink Champs hosting team has since apologized for facilitating and platforming the polarizing conversation.
Ahmaud Arbery's Mother Slams Kanye West For Black Lives Matter Comments
After the clip went viral, the Floyd family considered taking legal action. Lee Merritt, who previously represented the Floyd family, explained on Twitter the potential space for an actual lawsuit.
“While one cannot defame the dead, the family of #GeorgeFloyd is considering suit for Kanye’s false statements about the manner of his death,” Merritt wrote. “Claiming Floyd died from fentanyl not the brutality established criminally and civilly undermines & diminishes the Floyd family’s fight.”
While one cannot defame the dead, the family of #GeorgeFloyd is considering suit for Kanye’s false statements about the manner of his death.
Claiming Floyd died from fentanyl not the brutality established criminally and civilly undermines & diminishes the Floyd family’s fight.— Lee Merritt (@MerrittForTexas) October 16, 2022
In April 2021, former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd nearly one year after kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed Floyd for 9 minutes and 29 seconds with his face pressed into the pavement. The 46-year-old’s violent death resulted in global protests against police brutality after the shocking video went viral.
According to medical experts, although fentanyl was found in George Floyd’s system, the drug had metabolized and was not a factor in his death. According to the New York Times, Dr. Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner who conducted Mr. Floyd’s initial autopsy described Floyd’s cause of death as “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.”
