Kanye West has apologized for causing harm to his “people” by falsely saying that George Floyd died of fentanyl overdose.
The 45-year-old rapper made the claim despite Floyd being murdered by a police officer who suffocated him for more than nine minutes by placing his knee on his neck.
Friday night, in a videotaped conversation with paparazzi, he retracted his previous statements.
West said of the footage of Floyd’s murder, “As a black person, it hurts my feelings to watch that video. And I am aware that cops do attack and that racism is pervasive in America.
“And I understand that when we were able to say Black Lives Matter, it made us feel good as a people, correct?
“Therefore, when I questioned George Floyd’s demise, it hurt my people. I sincerely apologize. Because God has shown me through adidas and the media, I now know what it feels like to have a knee on my neck.
“Therefore, thank you, God, for humbling me and showing me how it truly felt. Because how else could the wealthiest black men ever be humbled besides having a single remark cause them to lose their billionaire status in front of everyone?
West was referencing brands such as adidas severing ties with him, which he claims cost him $2 billion (R36bn) in a single day.
The family of George Floyd is preparing a $250 million lawsuit against Kanye West for his unsubstantiated podcast claims about the murder victim.
Floyd’s death sparked global outrage. Last year, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of three counts of murder and manslaughter and is currently serving concurrent sentences of over 22 years.