N.O.R.E. apologizes to George Floyd’s family for Kanye West’s comments
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By Lisa Respers France, CNN
N.O.R.E., co-host of “Drink Champs,” is expressing regret over allowing Kanye West to make controversial comments during the podcast.
The rapper called “The Breakfast Club” radio show Tuesday to address what happened with West on the Revolt.TV show.
“I just want to be honest, I support freedom of speech,” N.O.R.E said. “I support anybody not being censored. But I do not support anybody being hurt. I did not realize that the George Floyd statements [made by West] on my show were so hurtful.”
During his appearance, West made antisemitic comments and suggested George Floyd was killed by a fentanyl overdose, despite a medical examiner’s testimony that fentanyl was not the direct cause of Floyd’s death, only a contributing factor when he died after being knelt on by a police officer.
N.O.R.E. has come under fire for not pushing back on West during the interview. He explained to “The Breakfast Club” that the controversial Floyd comments happened during the “first five minutes of the show” and said West told the producer that if they stopped filming he would walk out.”
“I wanted the man to speak,” N.O.R.E. said. “Later on I actually checked him about the George Floyd comments, I actually checked him about the ‘White Lives Matter’ but it was so later in the episode…I was so inebriated at the time that maybe people looked over it.”
“But I apologize to the George Floyd family, I apologize to anybody that was hurt by Kanye West’s comments,” he added.
Lee Merritt, a civil rights attorney who has represented the Floyd family on matters in the past, told CNN Monday that he has put together a team to explore a possible suit against West at the request of Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd.
On Tuesday, lawyers representing Roxie Washington, the mother of George Floyd’s daughter, provided CNN with a cease-and-desist letter addressed to West. They indicated they intend to also file a lawsuit “for harassment, misappropriation, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress.”
N.O.R.E. was asked during his call with “The Breakfast Club” if he was aware of the possible legal action and whether he too might he be a target of that. He said that while he knew about it, “It’s not even about suing or the money, It’s about the hurt from the thing.”
“I was locked down, I’m a supporter of the George Floyd movement,” he said. “I saw that video too. I seen that cop’s knee on his neck. I seen [Floyd] calling for whoever. I’m embarrassed of myself.”
N.O.R.E. said he spoke with West Tuesday and told him he would be addressing what happened. The episode has since been removed.
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