Floyd’s family drafts cease and desist letter to Kanye

By Lisa Respers France and Omar Jimenez | CNN

Roxie Washington, who is dealing with the late George Floyd on behalf of her daughter, has hired lawyers after Kanye West made a claim about fentanyl and Floyd’s death.

The artist, designer and entrepreneur – who changed his name to Ye – spoke about Floyd’s death on a recent episode of the Drink Champs podcast.

“I saw the George Floyd documentary that Candace Owens did. One of the things his two roommates said was they want a big guy like me, and the day he died he said a prayer for eight minutes,” West said. “They hit him with the fentanyl. If you see, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that.

Witherspoon Law Group and Dixon & Dixon Attorneys, representing Washington and their daughter Gianna Floyd, issued a cease and desist letter to West on Tuesday.

The letter, which was made available to CNN, said: “Our customers are deeply concerned and hurt by the allegations you have made.”

“Mr. Floyd’s cause of death is well established by evidence presented in court during the criminal and civil trials which were the result of his untimely and horrific death,” the letter reads Made statements that caused damage to Mr. Floyd’s assets and his family.”

Former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck.

According to the Chauvin trial, the coroner who performed Floyd’s autopsy stood by his initial finding that his death was the result of “cardiopulmonary arrest” that occurred during “prosecution, restraint and neck compression.”

Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Andrew Baker, during his testimony, said Floyd’s heart disease and use of fentanyl contributed to his death, but not the direct cause.

The attorneys’ letter calls for West to “remove the ‘Drink Champs’ interview and all similar statements regarding George Floyd from all podcasts, websites, advertisements and social media sites, regardless of platform or medium,” and ” to refrain from publishing or causing to be published any other audio files, videos, statements, posts, etc. relating to George Floyd, his estate, family and the circumstances of his death, including but not limited to his manner of death.”

CNN has reached out to a West representative for comment.

On Tuesday, the episode of “Drink Champs” appeared to have been removed.

Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who has represented the Floyd family, told CNN Monday Floyd’s brother contacted him to file a defamation lawsuit against the star.

Although it’s not legally possible because George Floyd passed away, Merritt said there are other legal avenues, including the Floyd family potentially suing for intentionally inflicting emotional distress.

“I have assembled a work team to investigate [West’s] statements and to investigate the source of those statements,” Merritt said.

CNN has reached out to Merritt for comment on the cease and desist letter.