The Family Of George Floyd Is Planning To Sue Kanye West For 250 Million

In a press statement released by the Witherspoon Law Group, West’s comments are tantamount to “harassment, misappropriation, defamation and infliction of emotional distress” against Floyd’s family. One may be reminded of Alex Jones, the notorious broadcaster who is currently facing down an avalanche of trouble in civil court due to his trafficking in conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Jones has been successfully sued twice in court for inflicting emotional distress on the family of Sandy Hook victims. But as Roy S. Gutterman of the Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University pointed out to NPR, proving such claims of recklessness or intentionality can be challenging, especially against a media figure. Gutterman also points out that laws against defamation or libel do not apply without a live plaintiff, and Floyd’s family wouldn’t be able to sue on his behalf for making false claims – instead, they would have to prove that West either maliciously or recklessly caused them emotional distress through his actions. The “Drink Champs” episode featuring West has been pulled from the internet, and its host N.O.R.E issued a public apology for not pushing back against West’s statements. But West himself has not responded to the upcoming lawsuit.