Kanye West continues to create outrage.
The outspoken rapper contended in a new interview that George Floyd died of the drug fentanyl, and not from the actions of the Minnesota police officer who was convicted of his murder.
“They hit him with the fentanyl. If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that,” West claimed on Sunday’s episode of the Revolt TV show “Drink Champs.”
West, 45, made the claim after saying he recently attended the premiere of “Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM,” a documentary by conservative commentator Candace Owens.
Floyd died in May 2020 after officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for about nine minutes. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years behind bars last year on murder and manslaughter charges in Minnesota, and 21 years in July after a federal trial.
West’s comments could prompt legal action, civil rights attorney Lee Merritt said Sunday.
“While one cannot defame the dead, the family of #GeorgeFloyd is considering suit for Kanye’s false statements about the manner of his death,” Merritt tweeted. “Claiming Floyd died from fentanyl not the brutality established criminally and civilly undermines & diminishes the Floyd family’s fight.”
West was also critical during the interview of comedian Pete Davidson, who dated the rapper’s ex, Kim Kardashian, after she filed for divorce last year. He referenced Kardashian recently saying on the Hulu series “The Kardashians” that her grandmother once raved about having sex in front of a fireplace.
“Kim is a Christian,” West, who has four kids with Kardashian, said on “Drink Champs.”
“On TMZ, I just saw yesterday, they said, ‘Pete Davidson and Kim have sex by the fireplace to honor their grandmother.’ It’s Jewish Zionists that’s about that life, that’s telling this Christian woman that has four Black children to put that out as a message in the media.”
West’s appearance on the show follows a string of controversial behavior by the rapper, whose Instagram account was restricted earlier this month after he allegedly made antisemitic comments.
The American Jewish Committee accused West of “Anti-Jewish posts,” pointing to a screen shot of a text message conversation with rapper Diddy in which West allegedly wrote, “Ima use you as an example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me.”
Meanwhile, a tweet in which West said he would go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE” was taken down from that platform.
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