Kanye West Claims George Floyd Died Of Fentanyl Overdose, Sparks Outrage

Kanye West recently claimed that George Floyd's death was caused by a fentanyl overdose, rather than the actions of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

“I watched the George Floyd documentary that Candace Owens put out,” the “Runaway” rapper said about the film premiere which he attended last week.

“One of the things that his two roommates said was they want a tall guy like me, and the day that he died, he said a prayer for eight minutes. They hit him with the fentanyl. If you look, the guy's knee wasn't even on his neck like that,” he added.

George Floyd was killed in May 2020 when Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, pinned Floyd's neck with his knee for more than nine minutes while the 46-year-old Black man repeatedly said he couldn't breathe.

“I can't breathe,” Floyd cried out more than 20 times before he died, court transcripts revealed.

Social media footage taken of Floyd's final moments show the 46-year-old Black man pinned to the ground in handcuffs as White officer Chauvin kneels on his neck for more than nine minutes.

As a result of his death, global protests and debates erupted about police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.

Autopsies revealed that George Floyd had a large amount of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid used to treat pain, and a small amount of methamphetamine and THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in his system before he died.

Chauvin received a twenty-two-and-a-half-year sentence for Floyd's murder last year. This year, three other officers who were present were also sentenced to federal prison for civil rights violations related to Floyd's case.

George Floyd's drug use was cited in Chauvin's defense as the cause of his death, but testimonies from doctors and eyewitnesses established that Floyd was actually the victim of a homicide.

A county medical examiner and a private medical examiner hired by Floyd's family both determined that the cause of Floyd's death was cardiopulmonary arrest due to compressions to his neck and chest.

Kanye West, however, contested the murder verdict, suggesting in the Drink Champs Podcast interview that Floyd overdosed on fentanyl.

She disagreed with the idea that Floyd, who was killed in a confrontation with Minneapolis police, should be considered a martyr.

Watch “The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM” documentary trailer.

As many social media users condemned Kanye West's latest remarks, a civil rights attorney, Lee Merritt, said that Floyd's family is considering suing Kanye West.

“While one cannot defame the dead, the family of #GeorgeFloyd is considering suit for Kanye's false statements about the manner of his death,” Lee, who represents the Floyd family, said.

“Claiming Floyd died from fentanyl not the brutality established criminally and civilly undermines & diminishes the Floyd family's fight,” the lawyer added.

Days after antisemitic posts by the rapper were removed from Instagram and Twitter, the backlash to his comments coincided with the announcement of the sale of the company by Parler, a right-wing social media platform.

Kanye West's comments about George Floyd come after the rapper sported a “White Lives Matter” shirt along with Candace Owens at his Yeezy fashion show on Monday (Oct. 3) in Paris, showcasing his Season 9 collection.

“White Lives Matter” is a slogan often used by white supremacists and other opponents of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The “Stronger” rapper later took to Instagram to state that Black Lives Matter is a “scam.”

Few days later, his Twitter and Instagram accounts were locked because of antisemitic posts by the rapper.

Spokespersons for Instagram and Twitter parent Meta said Sunday (Oct. 9) that Kanye West posted messages that violated their policies.