CNN
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Lawyers representing Roxie Washington, the mother of George Floyd’s daughter, have drafted a cease and desist letter to Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, following comments he made claiming that Floyd had was killed by an overdose of fentanyl.
On the “Drink Champs” podcast, West claimed George Floyd was killed by an overdose of fentanyl, despite medical examiner testimony that fentanyl was not the direct cause of Floyd’s death, only a contributing factor when he died after being kneeled by a police officer.
Attorneys for Witherspoon Law Group told CNN the comments were particularly damaging to Gianna Floyd, the daughter of George Floyd.
“She’s a little girl who was traumatized and re-traumatized by Kanye West,” attorney Kay Harper Williams said of George Floyd’s daughter. It’s “the intentional infliction of emotional distress,” she added.
When CNN sat down with then-6-year-old Gianna Floyd in June 2020, she didn’t say a word during the interview.
The lawyers said they also intend to file a lawsuit “for harassment, misappropriation, defamation and infliction of emotional distress”.
CNN has reached out to a representative for Ye for comment.
On Tuesday, the “Drink Champs” episode appeared to have been removed from YouTube and Revolt TV. However, “he still exists, that doesn’t remove him from the universe,” Williams said.
“Too little too late, the damage has been done to our client,” she added.
A cease and desist letter, provided to CNN, was addressed to an attorney they believed to be representing Ye, however, they told CNN they had been informed that this attorney was not actually affiliated with Ye. in that case. They are actively trying to ensure it is received, although they added that there will be more pressure once the lawsuit is officially filed.
Regarding a separate legal effort being explored by attorney Lee Merritt, who has represented the Floyd family on issues in the past, Williams told CNN the two attorneys have not coordinated their efforts thus far.
Merritt told CNN on Monday that Floyd’s brother contacted him to pursue a defamation suit against the star.
While that’s not legally possible because George Floyd is deceased, Merritt said, there are other legal avenues to pursue, including the Floyd family possibly suing for intentionally inflicting emotional distress.
“I have assembled a task force to investigate [Ye’s] statements and to investigate the source of those statements,” Merritt said.
CNN reached out to Merritt to comment on the cease and desist letter.
“George Floyd, just like Gianna said, changed the world for Kanye West to come back and speak in a way that hurts that legacy,” Williams said, “I’m offended as a human, as a as a black woman, as a mother.”
“Gianna is a child and we hurt her,” she added.
“There’s a really big discussion going on right now across the country about speaking,” Witherspoon said. “But at the end of the day, you can’t say those things that are wrong.”