George Floyd‘s family is not impressed with Kanye West‘s latest comments.
On Oct. 15, the rapper appeared on the hip-hop podcast Drink Champs, where he seemed to suggest the cause of Floyd’s death was due to fentanyl use and not by Derek Chavin, the former Minneapolis police offer who was convicted of murder.
Now, lawyers for the Floyd family and his daughter Gianna Floyd, 7, say they are planning to sue West for $250 million in damages.
“The interests of the child are priority,” attorney Nuru Witherspoon said in a statement to E! News. “George Floyd’s daughter is being retraumatized by Kanye West’s comments and he’s creating an unsafe and unhealthy environment for her.”
Attorney Kay Harper Williams added, “Free speech rights do not include harassment, lies, misrepresentation and the misappropriate of George Floyd’s legacy. Some words have consequences and Mr. West will be made to understand that.”
According to a cease-and-desist demand obtained by E! News, both Williams and Witherspoon said their clients “are very distressed and hurt by the allegations” made by West. The letter also stated, “You have maliciously made statements that are inaccurate and unfounded, causing damage to Mr. Floyd’s estate and his family.”
