Kanye West Laments Losing Billionaire Status, Apologizes To George Floyd's Family

School owner Kanye West has finally apologized for his controversial statements on George Floyd's death days after his partnership with Adidas was terminated and his billionaire status was lost. The controversial rapper spoke with paparazzi on Friday night and apologized for questioning the death of Floyd, saying he now knows what it's like to have a "knee on my neck."

West also addressed his anti-semitic statements, saying he didn't realize they were offensive until a mediation session with Adidas. Last week, the rapper gave a half-apology about his remarks during an interview, saying he's sorry to the people he hurt and for the confusion he caused.

While West is apologizing for his controversial statements, Floyd's family is suing him for "harassment, misappropriation, and defamation" and seeking $250 million. West's controversies have cost him several business partnerships, including his deals with Adidas, Balenciaga, and his account with bank JPMorgan Chase.

Read on to find out more.

During West's Friday night conversation with Paparazzi, he made several confusing statements, seeming to apologize and then backtracking. According to HipHopDX, West said, "When I see that video as a Black person, it hurts my feelings. And I know that police do attack and America is generally racist."

He continued, "And I understand that when we got to say Black Lives Matter, that the idea of it made us feel good together as a people, right? So when I questioned the death of George Floyd, it hurt my people. I want to apologize." West also explained that God, the media, and Adidas have shown him "how it feels to have a knee on my neck now."

West continued talking about how it felt to lose so many business partnerships. He said, "So thank you God for humbling me and letting me know how it really felt. Because how could the richest Black men ever be humbled other than to be made to not be a billionaire in front of everyone off of one comment."

West also spoke about his anti-Semitic statements during his conversation with the paparazzi. The "Hurricane" rapper explained that he didn't realize his statements were considered anti-Semitic until during a mediation session with Adidas before they ended their business relationship with him.

He also said the conversations during this mediation helped him come to some realizations, which "humbled" him. During an interview with Piers Morgan earlier this month, West gave a half-apology for his anti-semitic statements. In a preview clip of the interview, Morgan confronted West about his controversial remarks, causing the rapper to deny being racist.

When asked whether he regrets tweeting "death con three on Jewish people," West said, "No… Absolutely not." During another portion of the interview, the "Praise God" rapper said, 

"I will say I'm sorry for the people that I hurt with the Defcon [comment], the confusion that I caused. I felt like I caused hurt and confusion. And I'm sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I have been through."

As West apologizes for his controversial statements, Floyd's family has announced they're filing a $250 million lawsuit against West for his statements on Floyd's death. Roxie Washington, the mother of Floyd's only daughter Gianna Floyd, is suing the rapper for "harassment, misappropriation, defamation and infliction of emotional distress seeking $250 million dollars in damages."

The statement from Washington's lawyers also read, "Kanye's comments are a repugnant attempt to discount George Floyd's life and to profit from his inhumane death. We will hold Mr. West accountable for his flagrant remarks against Mr. Floyd's legacy." They have also issued the "Goldigger" rapper a cease-and-desist letter for his comments.

West's controversial posts have cost him many business partnerships, including talent agency CAA, fashion brand Balenciaga, Vogue and its editor Anna Wintour, and bank JPMorgan Chase. The biggest loss so far has been his partnership with Adidas, who finally bowed to intense pressure to terminate their partnership with the Yeezy founder.

Adidas released a statement confirming the termination of its partnership with West. It read, "After a thorough review, the company has decided to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products, and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect."

As a result of the loss of his partnership with Adidas, the rapper's net worth dropped from an estimated $1.9 billion to around $400 million. The loss immediately removed him from the Forbes list of billionaires. West's new net worth stems from his extensive music catalog, liquid cash, real estate, and a 5% stake in ex-Kim Kardashian's Skims brand.