Brought into the light of the public this past Tuesday, October 18, 2022, rumors have officially been confirmed that the family of George Floyd – a Black man who was brutally suffocated by a police officer for eight minutes – is suing Kanye West for a total of $250 million. The lawsuit follows multiple unexpected and debatable comments made by the Donda artist on his recent guest appearance during the popular Drink Champs podcast.
Roxie Washington, George Floyd’s only daughter Gianna Floyd’s mother, was the first person to initially file the lawsuit for “misappropriation, harassment, infliction, and defamation of emotional distress seeking $250 million in damages,” according to official reports from Washington’s legal team. “Kanye’s comments are a repugnant attempt to discount George Floyd’s life and to profit from his inhumane death… We will hold Mr. West accountable for his flagrant remarks against Mr. Floyd’s legacy,” stated Attorney Patrick D. Dixon III. However, even with the evidence against West being as clear as day, some people vocalized how the 45-year-old entrepreneur may have an unseen advantage.
Director of the Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University, Roy S. Gutterman stated the following on Yeezy’s impending case: “First off, there is no possibility of a defamation action here, because there would be no living plaintiff whose reputation has been damaged. Libel and slander require a live plaintiff, and family members or surviving family members do not have the standing to sue for defamation, Gutterman expressed. “Intentional infliction of emotional distress, maybe — This requires the plaintiff to prove that the statements were intentional or reckless, outside the bounds of accepted decency and morality and casually connected to some viable harm… This tort is often a difficult claim to collect on, especially with a media defendant.”