'Hope I'm murdered': Sam Newman reveals disturbing George Floyd fallout

Controversial former Channel Nine footy icon Sam Newman has opened up on the abuse he and his family have copped over the explosive comments about George Floyd that preceded his split from the TV network.

Newman last week ended his 35-year association with Nine after making disparaging remarks about Floyd - the African-American man killed by a white police officer in the United States.

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“George Floyd … is piece of s***,” Newman said on his podcast You Cannot Be Serious.

“He has been in jail five times, he held up a pregnant black woman with a knife, he’s a drug addict, he’s a crackhead and he’s a pornstar.”

“He’s dead because of the police brutality and it never should have happened. But I am telling you who George Floyd is, now they’ve made a monument about him and he’s a piece of s***”.

Newman's remarks drew widespread condemnation but the 74-year-old has since doubled down on his thoughts, insisting that what he said was completely accurate.

On the latest episode of his podcast, Newman was asked by his friend and former Herald Sun AFL writer Mike Sheahan whether he simply made such outrageous comments because he craves attention.

“Are you suffering from attention deficit syndrome, do you think?” Sheahan asked.

Newman said he wouldn't dignify the question with an answer, insisting that the shocking attacks made against him weren't worth it.

“You wouldn’t believe — or you would believe — the things that are being said about me," Newman said.

"They hope I die, they hope I’m murdered, they hope I’m shot, they hope my grandchildren get raped by felons, they hope my house gets burned to the ground, they hope someone ends up stabbing me.

“Do you think I want to put myself through that for the sake of saying a very accurate statement about a man who shouldn’t have been killed but is a very ordinary person?

“Why would I want to? Do you think I crave attention?”

Sam Newman elaborates on split from Nine

Newman did elaborate on his split with long-term employer Nine, which came after an online petition calling for his sacking, gathered steam.

“Channel 9 rang me up and said, ‘We’re getting a bit of blowback from the sponsors of the Sunday Footy Show’,” Newman said.

“And I said, ‘Well, before you go any further, if it will help Channel 9’ — because I have no problem with Channel 9 at all, they’ve been a great employer and they’ve given me every opportunity to be successful, which I have been.

“I said … if it would help by me withdrawing my services from appearing on your station or my station, I will do that forthwith. And they said, ‘That would be acceptable’.

“They thought about it, they rang me back and they said that would be a very good solution to this problem that we are facing and I have no problem doing it.

“It affects me not one iota, I don’t need to be on the television.