Family of George Floyd to file $250 million lawsuit against Kanye West
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The family of George Floyd is moving forward with its $250 million lawsuit against Kanye West.
On Wednesday, the family's attorney spoke about the case for the first time.
"If you're going to use other people's names for profit, if you're going to profit from other people's pain, if you're going to re-traumatize people, then you have to pay for it," said Floyd family lawyer Nuru Witherspoon.
The lawsuit stems from comments West made on a podcast, in which he claimed Floyd died from a fentanyl overdose -- not suffocation.
The Floyd family is suing for defamation and emotional distress.
Legal experts say they face an uphill battle. By law, one cannot defame the dead.
Attorneys for Floyd's family say the recent verdicts against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones set a precedent for their case.