EXCLUSIVE: 'My father was a paparazzo': Kanye West's surprise admission during civil lawsuit over scuffle with shutterbug
Kanye West revealed that his father was once a paparazzo during a deposition in a civil lawsuit brought by a celebrity photographer following a scuffle with the rapper.
The 37-year-old singer was sued by photographer Daniel Ramos after an altercation last year at Los Angeles International Airport.
'My father was a paparazzo himself. My father was a medical illustrator, a Black Panther, a Christian marriage counselor,' West told Ramos' lawyer during his deposition.
Paparazzo father: Kanye West said his father was a celebrity photographer during a deposition related to his paparazzi battery case
'My mother was the first black chair of the English department in Chicago State. They didn't raise me to be out here wrestling with random paparazzi in front of LAX,' he added.
The Grammy-winning artist said he has respect for some of the paparazzi.
'Sometimes I get in the car with the paparazzi. Paparazzi help me to park,' West told Ramos' lawyer Nate Goldberg.
'The paparazzi watch my car and makes sure that cops don't give me tickets. There are some nice guys out here trying to just feed their family.
'And then there's a******* like the guy you're representing.'
Not backing down: West challenged questions posed to him during the deposition
He also called some of Goldberg's questions 'asinine' and explained that he had just learned his grandfather Portwood Williams Senior was about to die when the incident occurred.
'And this guy is asking me about dumb s***… So, you know, I'm sorry that I tried to grab his camera. But I obviously didn't try to hurt him. I'm not here to hurt people,' West said.
West previously has said that he didn't hurt Ramos who claimed he suffered physically and emotionally from the attack.
Airport scuffle: The rapper pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge that cannot be used against him in the civil lawsuit
'I tried to stop his camera and stuff, he fell down, faked it and everyone was saying “Why did you hit this guy?” I didn't hit him,' West said.
The singer pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge related to the incident and was sentenced to two years of probation, 24 anger management therapy sessions and 250 hours of community service.
The no contest plea cannot be used against him in the civil lawsuit.
Civil lawsuit: West was sentenced to probation, anger management classes and community service as part of his plea deal
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