Bittersweet Father’s Day for ska great Derrick Morgan
Blind singer files lawsuit against his daughter Queen Ifrica
Published:Sunday | June 16, 2024 | 12:09 AM
For ska singer Derrick Morgan, Father’s Day, June 16, 2024 will be bittersweet as the allegations levelled by his estranged daughter Ventrice ‘Queen Ifrica’ Morgan still hang like low thunderclouds above his head, forcing him to carry through with his pledge to take the matter to the courts.
However, the 84-year-old singer, who has fathered 15 children, still plans to make the most of the occasion.
“Mi never ah look for any Father’s Day greeting from she, mi have a lot of other children to give mi greetings. She walk and tell a notorious lie on me. She is the one daughter who can’t call and tell mi Happy Father’s Day, she knows what she has done to mi,” he said.
The In My Heart singer said the allegations against him are particularly galling.
“Why would I want to rape my own pickney? It hurt me!” Morgan said. “How could she make up things like that about her own father?”
Morgan is now seeking redress through the courts following what he says are defamatory statements from Queen Ifrica. He instructed his attorney-at-law, Charles Ganga-Singh, to sue Queen Ifrica for several defamatory statements, videos and interviews made on August 1, 2023.
Documents obtained by The Sunday Gleaner show that the defamatory suit was filed on June 12, 2024 in the Supreme Court of Jamaica, alleging reputational damage, and financial loss for allegations of abuse that Ventrice Morgan, the defendant, made against her father, the claimant, in 2023.
“The defendant made several defamatory statements, videos and participated in several interviews hurling defamatory comments about the claimant, published such defamatory statements, videos and interviews and made said defamatory statements available to the public for posting, reposting, republication…which when heard, led the public to deduce that the claimant engaged in incest, rape and other sexual offences,” the document said.
“Consequently, the claimant has suffered serious injury to his character and reputation, incurred financial loss and damage.”
In August, via social media, Queen Ifrica revealed that as a child, she had an estranged relationship with Morgan due to issues surrounding her mother. However, as an adult, she attempted to reconnect with him. Queen Ifrica described a specific incident of alleged abuse and further claimed that it was the impetus behind one of her more famous hit songs.
Morgan is also demanding an apology from his estranged daughter and he wants her to withdraw defamatory comments she allegedly made on an online platform.
“I am innocent,” the 84-year-old ska singer said. “I just want to clear my name, and she needs to put out an apology and say ‘I am sorry to say that, nothing no go so’.”
Morgan is looking forward to his day in court.
“Mi never go court from the day mi born yet and mi ah old man, and now mi ah go court to stand up for my name. This whole thing hurt mi heart. I have 15 pickney and she is the only one who come wid dem tings de, and she ah the last one, the youngest,” the Blazing Fire entertainer said.
“Do you know what it is like to have a pickney that carry on and cuss whole heap a bad word like that? Mi shame when people say: ‘Bwoy, yu waan hear wah yu daughter ah say now...’,” he said.
The singer, who is blind, has never seen his daughter’s face.
“Dem say she favour mi, but she doesn’t act like a Morgan. Mi did love how she was going on with her career, mi used to tell people that she is my favourite singer, but now I don’t want to know her.”
Derrick Morgan is one of the most recognised ska artistes, having been conferred with the Order of Distinction in 2001, the Reggae Icon Award in 2022, and the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. He is known for songs such as Blazing Fire, Don’t Call Me Daddy, The Conqueror, In My Heart, Tougher than Tough and Seven Letters.
Over the past few years, Queen Ifrica has taken a firm stance against child abuse. After the accusations on her livestream, Ifrica also got support from fans, as well as peers in the entertainment industry.