A California federal judge has ruled against Frank Ocean’s estranged father in a bitter defamation lawsuit. Ocean’s father left when the singer was a child — only to return with a vicious lawsuit.
Last summer, following the tragic gay nightclub shooting in Orlando, Frank Ocean published a personal reflection on Tumblr.
Lamenting the tragedy, Ocean touched on his own experiences of rejection as a child. He shared that when he was six, his father rushed him out of a diner after insulting a transgender waitress.
“I was six years old when I heard my dad call our transgender waitress a faggot as he dragged me out a neighborhood diner saying we wouldn’t be served because she was dirty.”
According to Calvin Cooksey, his son’s post reached millions of readers. Earlier this year, he filed a defamation lawsuit against Frank Ocean.
Demanding $14.5 million from Ocean, the suit reads,
“The Defendant, Plaintiff’s (son)…accused [Cooksey] of discriminating against a ‘Transgender Waitress’ to millions of people, which has ruined [his] future financial opportunities in the film and music industries.”
Filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Cooksey lambasted Ocean. He claimed that his son wrote the Tumblr post to “ruin his father” in the wake of Blonde‘s success.
Criticizing Ocean for insulting the Islamic and Christian religions, Cooksey listed the “sins” in his son’s Tumblr post.
“Lying
“Sex of wedlock
“Adultery
“Lust
“Stealing
“Murder.
“And Defendant’s favorite sin,
“Disrespecting thy father.”
Calling Ocean a “fraud” and a “scam artist,” Cooksey wrote that his son only cared about “making millions of dollars.”
Yesterday, US District Judge Stephen V. Wilson ruled against Ocean’s father. After considering arguments from both sides, Wilson stated that Cooksey “failed to meet necessary elements to make his defamation claim.”
“Based upon other deficiencies in the plaintiff’s case, the judgment has to be for the defendant.”
Wilson will deliver a written decision later this week.
In a statement, Ocean’s lawyer, lamented that Cooksey had filed the case at all.
“It was a super sad case. I am sorry that my client had to go through this and am glad that we could bring closure.”
Cooksey had previously sued Russell Simmons for calling him a “deadbeat dad.” He asked a federal court for $142 million.
TMZ wrote that Cooksey hasn’t been a part of Ocean’s life since the R&B singer was 5.
You can read the court documents below.
Image by Rory (CC by 2.0)