Ye is confronted with the Kan-sequences. The family of George Floyd intends to sue rapper Kanye West for falsely alleging Floyd was killed by fentanyl rather than police violence.
According to a press release, Roxie Washington, Floyd’s daughter’s mother, will sue Ye for $250 million for harassment, misappropriation, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress. (Washington is filing on behalf of her daughter, Gianna Floyd, the estate’s beneficiary.)
Ye discussed Floyd on the hip-hop podcast Drink Champs, where he also made anti-Semitic remarks. His assertion regarding Floyd was obviously untrue – Derek Chauvin, the police officer who murdered Floyd in 2020, was convicted of murder — but mainly went uncontested by the hosts, N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN.
The episode was removed hours before the lawsuit was publicized by attorneys. According to the press notice, Ye created his Floyd claims “to promote his brands and increase marketing value and money for himself, his business partners, and associates.”
It’s the latest in Ye’s media tour. The rapper’s Twitter and Instagram accounts were suspended due to incendiary statements, and a recent edition of The Shop, LeBron James’ talk program, was canceled after his interview. His remarks came just before announcing the purchase of the conservative social-media site Parler.
George Farmer, the company’s CEO, is married to Candace Owens, a popular Black conservative commentator who filmed a documentary on Floyd that Ye mentioned on Drink Champs and wore one of his “White Lives Matter” T-shirts. “Free speech rights do not include harassment, lying, defamation, and exploitation of George Floyd’s legacy,” said Kay Harper Williams, one of Floyd’s family’s attorneys. “Some words have repercussions, and Mr. West will learn that.”