Frank Ocean’s estranged father, Calvin Cooksey, has filed a lawsuit accusing his son of libel over a blog entry published on Tumblr.
Following last summer’s attack on Pulse nightclub in Florida, the 29-year-old artist reacted by recalling a hate-filled rant from his father when he was just six years old.
The post on Ocean's account said that the two sat inside a neighbourhood diner, where his father insulted a transgender waitress.
According to the post, Cooksey then dragged his son out of the establishment, allegedly telling Ocean they wouldn’t be served because she was “dirty.”
Now, Cooksey is claiming the entry has damaged his entertainment career and he’s seeking $14.5 million in the case.
In one section of the lawsuit, he accuses his son of hypocrisy over his relationship with rapper Tyler the Creator, whom he considers homophobic.
He also says the friendship deceives the Human Rights Campaign as well as Ellen DeGeneres, whom he calls a very good dancer.
Ocean usually remains tight-lipped on his relationship with his father but he revealed some details to the New York Times back in 2013.
“His father split without explanation when he was 6, and Ocean would say nothing about that to me other than that his dad was a failed musician who ‘went crazy’ and made questionable hairstyle choices,” Jeff Himmelman writes.
In 2014, Cooksey also sued rapper Russell Simmons for libel and emotional distress after he called him a “deadbeat dad” but the case was dismissed the same year.
