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20th Apr 2021

George Clooney says if Derek Chauvin is so confident he should ‘let someone kneel on his neck’

Claudia McInerney

The actor made the comment during Chauvin’s trial for the murder and manslaughter of George Floyd

Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis Police officer, knelt on George Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes after arresting him for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 note at a shop in May last year. Floyd was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

Chauvin’s defense lawyers have said that the 38-year old African-American died from a drug overdose, instead of Chauvin kneeling on his neck for a prolonged period of time.

The circumstances surrounding Floyd’s tragic death have been widely discussed, with the actor George Clooney expressing his views on the case.

According to Entertainment Tonight, George Floyd’s family attorney, Benjamin Crump, received an email from Clooney as he watched Chauvin’s trial. The actor’s rep has since confirmed to ET that he did send the attorney an email.

Discussing his exchanges with Clooney on the US chat show The View, Crump said that the world-famous actor suggested that Chauvin volunteer himself to be knelt on for several minutes if he was so certain that the action could not kill a human being.

Crump recalled the contents of Clooney’s email.

The email read: “Attorney Crump, you should tell them if Derek Chauvin feels so confident in that, he should volunteer during his case, to get down on the floor in that courtroom, and let somebody come and put their knee on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds and be able to see if he can survive.”

Crump said on the show that Clooney emails him occasionally as he wants his children to “live in a better world,” ET reported.