Lawyers representing the mother of George Floyd’s daughter Gianna sent Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, a cease-and-desist letter on Tuesday in response to his claims that a fentanyl overdose caused Floyd’s death.
“You have maliciously made statements that are inaccurate and unfounded,” reads the letter to Ye from the Witherspoon Law Group.
Appearing last week on an episode of the Drink Champs podcast, Ye said: “If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that.”
While Floyd did have fentanyl in his system at the time of his death in May 2020, chief medical examiner Hennepin County, Minnesota medical examiner Dr. Andrew Baker testified at the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin that the cause of death was homicide, due to “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.
Chauvin was convicted last year of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pinning his knee on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes while Floyd, who was handcuffed, said “I can't breathe.”
In its letter to Ye, the Witherspoon Law Group demanded that he “refrain from publishing or causing to be published any other audio, video statement, post, etc. regarding George Floyd, his estate, his family, and the circumstances surrounding his death, including but not limited to his manner of death.”
It warned that Gianna’s mother Roxie Washington is prepared to pursue legal action if he fails to comply.
While it’s not possible to sue for defamation on behalf of a person who is deceased, the lawyers issued a press release threatening to file a lawsuit against Ye for “harassment, misappropriation, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress” seeking $250 million U.S. in damages.
The letter was sent to Ye via New York City lawyer Alex Spiro, who told reporters he is not representing Ye.
Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing Floyd’s brother Philonise, said he is also considering taking legal action against the rapper. He tweeted: “Claiming Floyd died from fentanyl not the brutality established criminally and civilly undermines & diminishes the Floyd family’s fight.”