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Derek Chauvin sentencing: Cher, Alyssa Milano and more stars say 22.5 years 'not real justice'

Chauvin's sentence of 22.5 years in prison was met with mixed emotions, largely anger. Celebrities like Ava DuVernay, George Takei had a lot to say

Derek Chauvin's sentencing led to mixed reactions from most people. It was a bittersweet moment for those fighting for George Floyd and Black Lives Matter. His family wanted the maximum sentencing and so did his supporters. But Chauvin's sentence of 22.5 years in prison was actually met with mixed emotions, largely anger. Many people thought that the sentence did not match the crime while others thought it was worth celebrating that a White police officer was being convicted for the murder of a Black man. Either way, celebrities also had their share to say.

Ava DuVernay, director of 'When They See Us', '13th', 'Wrinkle in Time', and 'Selma', wrote, "Derek Chauvin is a murderer. A murderer who watched multiple people plead for the life of the man he killed in broad daylight. A murderer who placed the full weight of his body on another human being’s neck and felt the life drain out of him. Derek Chauvin is a murderer."

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She later asked for justice for more Black victims. "Tamir Rice should have turned 19 years old today. Breonna Taylor should be thinking about what to do this weekend. Elijah McClain should be playing the violin this summertime evening. Their murderers walk free today."

Cher, who in the month of April was slammed for having "white savior complex", had something to add this time too. She wrote, "Understand Chauvin’s Mom Not Wanting Her Son 2 Be Gone,But GEORGE FLOYD’S MOM WILL “NEVER” SEE HER SON AGAIN.Chauvin’s Lawyer Said ”If Only He Hadn’t Gone 2 Work That Day,Answered That call.” I SAY”IF ONLY HE HADNT PUT HIS WEIGHT ON GEORGE’S NECK FOR 9 MINS.HE HAD 9 MINS 2 STOP." Cher was ridiculed after she took to Twitter to say in April how when watching Chauvin's murder trial on television, she kept wondering if she could have helped Floyd had she been on the scene at the time of his death. Just days later, she apologized for saying that.

George Takei, like many others, wrote for a longer sentence for Chauvin. "I want 40 years for Chauvin. George Floyd’s family already got a life sentence handed to them when Chauvin murdered him."

"22.5 years is not long enough," wrote Alyssa Milano. CNN’s Van Jones called the verdict, “very disappointing.”

Martin Luther King III also tweeted with a similar criticism. "The world was watching today as #DerekChauvin was sentenced. Unfortunately, what he received today fell short of what true justice would look like for Mr. Floyd and his family. Full Accountability is key to creating an unbiased justice system…DISAPPOINTED!" Piers Morgan also took to write, "BREAKING: The moment George Floyd’s killer cop Derek Chauvin heard he was being jailed for 22.5 years for his despicable crime. Rot in jail you callous pr*ck."

Kathy Griffin, another celebrity unhappy with the sentence, wrote, "I mean, it’s won’t bring Mr. Floyd back, it’s not real justice, but this is good, right?" She further added, "Of course, it’s not enough time. #GeorgeFloyd"

Roxane Gay wrote, "It's just a conflicted emotional response in that it's rare for a police officer to receive this kind of sentence but I don't know that there is a satisfying or acceptable sentence for this kind of crime."