Collection
Did George Floyd and Then-Officer Derek Chauvin Work Together in Minneapolis?
One rumor we've fact-checked is whether U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters once introduced a bill to rename Memorial Day as "George Floyd Day."
by Izz Scott LaMagdeleine , May 29, 2020
Image courtesy of Getty Images
May 25, 2025, is the fifth anniversary of the killing of George Floyd — a Black man who died after Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin (who was found guilty of his murder) knelt on his neck for roughly nine minutes in May 2020. Floyd's murder started a worldwide protest movement , and claims surrounding him still continue to spread. To mark the anniversary, we took a look back at the rumors we've investigated involving Floyd.
Some of the topics include a rumor that Floyd once appeared on reality courtroom show "Judge Judy" (miscaptioned ), the claim that U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters introduced a bill to rename Memorial Day as "George Floyd Day" (false ) and a quote attributed to former President Joe Biden that said, "Dr. King's assassination did not have the worldwide impact that George Floyd's death did" (true ).
Here are 20 of the claims we've fact-checked about Floyd over the years:
By Izz Scott LaMagdeleine
Izz Scott LaMagdeleine is the web producer/production editor for Snopes.
Marjorie Taylor Greene latest public figure to falsely claim George Floyd died of a drug overdose
May 17, 2025
Ever since Floyd's autopsy was released in 2020, people have incorrectly claimed the doctors got ...
Read More
Is Maxine Waters Changing 'Memorial Day' to 'George Floyd Day'?
May 28, 2021
The credibility of a rumor does not increase when placed on a colorful background.
Read More
No, George Floyd Didn't Denigrate Trans People in a 2011 Tweet
April 3, 2023
He allegedly tweeted the offensive comment years before he died at the hands of police.
Read More
Background Check: Investigating George Floyd's Criminal Record
June 12, 2020
The question of past arrests often surfaces among people who want to rationalize police officers ...
Read More
Did Minn. Police Say George Floyd Died of 'Medical Incident During Police Interaction'?
April 20, 2021
The Minneapolis Police Department’s May 2020 statement about George Floyd’s death obscured the f ...
Read More
Did George Floyd Appear on 'Judge Judy'?
July 15, 2020
It may come as a surprise to some, but more than one person has the name "George Floyd."
Read More
Did Nancy Pelosi Thank George Floyd for 'Sacrificing' His Life?
April 20, 2021
The remarks in question followed the reading of the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin.
Read More
Was George Floyd's Girlfriend Daunte Wright's Teacher?
April 15, 2021
"(I'm) crushed," said Courteney Ross, the former partner of Floyd, after a suburban Minneapolis ...
Read More
Did Pelosi Give George Floyd's Family a US Flag Meant To Honor Vets?
June 16, 2020
The claim circulated after Floyd's brother called attention at a Congressional hearing to racism ...
Read More
Did Biden Kneel Before George Floyd's Son To Apologize?
April 15, 2021
Even as the Derek Chauvin trial was winding to a close, rumors about George Floyd were still swi ...
Read More
Dejywan Floyd Is Not George Floyd's Brother
April 13, 2021
More than 66,000 people reported having the surname "Floyd" in 2010 U.S. Census.
Read More
Did Biden Say George Floyd's Death Had Greater 'Worldwide Impact' Than MLK's?
April 7, 2021
Remarks attributed to U.S. President Joe Biden saw a resurgence in social media sharing in April ...
Read More
Was Rev. Al Sharpton Paid $24K to Speak at George Floyd's Funeral?
July 1, 2020
You can claim anything if you remove the barrier of evidence.
Read More
Is This Aracely Henriquez, the Woman George Floyd Allegedly Assaulted?
June 12, 2020
The police encounter that led to Floyd's death in Minneapolis in 2020 was centered around report ...
Read More
Does Video Show Trump Mocking Eric Garner or George Floyd?
June 9, 2020
A video of Trump saying "I can't breathe" led to questions about whether he was mocking the deat ...
Read More
Is the 'George Floyd Challenge' Real?
June 5, 2020
A disturbing "challenge" featuring mostly young white men kneeling on each other's necks appears ...
Read More
Did Trump Say 'This Is a Great Day' for George Floyd?
June 5, 2020
The president's comments came during a press conference about employment statistics on June 5, 2020.
Read More
Did 'The Simpsons' Predict George Floyd's Death?
June 2, 2020
Predictions are typically made prior to the event they are predicting.
Read More
Does This Picture Show George Floyd with a Bible?
June 1, 2020
Floyd was a devout Christian who mentored others.
Read More
Did George Floyd and Then-Officer Derek Chauvin Work Together in Minneapolis?
May 29, 2020
Questions surfaced about the possibility that a Minneapolis police officer knew the man who died ...
Read More
Source code
