Kanye comments on George Floyd: Lawyers for slain man’s daughter draft cease and desist letter over ‘Drink Champs’ interview

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.”

The video above is from a previous report on Yes’s controversial tweet.

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

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 that resulted in his untimely and horrific death,” the letter said. “Yet you have maliciously made inaccurate and unsubstantiated statements that have damaged 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 ” Refrain from posting or causing to post any other audio, video, statements, posts, etc. relating to George Floyd, his estate, family and the circumstances of his death, including but not limited to the manner of his 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’ve put together a work team to investigate this [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.

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