Kanye West will face a quarter-billion dollar lawsuit from George Floyd’s young daughter, her mother, and their legal team after the rapper’s recent remarks about Floyd’s passing.
Gianna’s mother, Roxie Washington, revealed on Tuesday that she had engaged a group of attorneys to sue Ye, his business partners, and his colleagues for harassment, misappropriation, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress. They are asking for $250 million in compensation.
In addition, according to the family’s legal representatives, they sent Kanye a cease and desist letter over his remarks regarding Floyd’s tragic encounter with Minneapolis police.
Part of the letter reads: “Mr. Floyd’s cause of death is well-settled through evidence presented in courts of law during the criminal and civil trials that were the result of his untimely and horrific death. Nevertheless, you have maliciously made statements that are inaccurate and unfounded, causing damage to Mr. Floyd’s estate and his family.”
Kanye has received a lot of criticism for comments he made during a “Drink Champs” episode, in which he suggested that George died from a fentanyl overdose and pre-existing problems rather than from Derek Chauvin’s knee to the neck.
The Floyd family claims that Kanye’s statements are “blatantly false” and “malicious” and they say Gianna is being “retraumatized” by Kanye’s remarks, which they say are “creating an unsafe and unhealthy environment for her.”
In the cease and desist letter, the family’s attorneys demand that Kanye keep Floyd’s name out of his mouth and take the interview and all of his statements about George that are similar off the Internet.