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Frank Ocean’s dad sues Russell Simmons website for defamation
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 15 September 2014
Frank Ocean’s father is suing hip hop mogul Russell Simmons for defamation relating to statements made on a website headed up by the Def Jam co-founder, Global Grind.
According to TMZ, Calvin Cooksey claims that Global Grind unfairly portrayed him as a bad father. And while he may not have been part of his son’s life since Ocean was just five years old, that, says Cooksey, was because the singer’s mother took their son away and refused him access.
In his litigation, Ocean’s dad accuses Global Grind of publishing lies about him without first checking their facts. The somewhat optimistic lawsuit is reportedly pushing for $142 million in damages, relating to the loss of future income likely as a result of the alleged libel.
Simmons and Global Grind are yet to respond.