(CNN) — Roxie Washington has hired an attorney, on behalf of her daughter with the late George Floyd, after Kanye West made a claim about fentanyl and Floyd’s death.
The artist, designer and entrepreneur, who has changed his name to Ye, spoke about Floyd’s death during a recent episode of the “Drink Champs” podcast.
“I saw the documentary about George Floyd that Candace Owens put out. One of the things her two housemates said was that they wanted a tall guy like me, and the day he died, he said a prayer for eight minutes,” West said.
“They gave him fentanyl. If you notice, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that.”
Witherspoon Law Group and Dixon & Dixon Attorneys, acting as representatives of Washington and his daughter Gianna Floyd, drafted a cease and desist letter to West dated Tuesday.
The letter, provided to CNN, states that “our clients are very distressed and hurt by the accusations he has made.”
“Mr. Floyd’s cause of death is well established through the evidence presented in the courts of law during the criminal and civil trials that resulted from his untimely and horrific death,” the letter says.
“However, you made malicious statements that are inaccurate and baseless, causing damage to the estate of Mr. Floyd and his family.”
Former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck.
According to Chauvin’s trial testimony, the medical examiner who performed Floyd’s autopsy stood by his initial conclusion that his death was the result of “cardiopulmonary arrest” that occurred during “submission, restraint, and neck compression.” by law enforcement.”
Dr. Andrew Baker, Hennepin County’s chief medical examiner, said during his testimony that Floyd’s heart disease and fentanyl use were contributing factors in his death, but not the direct cause.
The attorneys’ letter demands that West “remove the ‘Drink Champs’ interview and all similar statements related to George Floyd from all podcasts, websites, ads, and social media, regardless of platform or medium” and “remove Please refrain from publishing or causing to be published any other audio, video, statement, publication, etc. in relation to George Floyd, his estate, his family, and the circumstances surrounding his death, including but not limited to his manner of death.”
CNN has reached out to a representative for West for comment.
The “Drink Champs” episode appeared to have been pulled on Tuesday.
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who has represented the Floyd family, told CNN Monday that Floyd’s brother contacted him to file a defamation lawsuit against the star.
Although that’s not legally possible because George Floyd is deceased, Merritt said, there are other legal avenues to pursue, including the possibility of the Floyd family suing for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
“I have assembled a task force to investigate the statements [de West] and to investigate the source of those statements,” Merritt said.
CNN has reached out to Merritt for comment on the cease and desist letter.
— Sandra Gonzalez contributed to this report.
