Today, Usher is one music legend with everything going for him. For starters, the R&B crooner has had a successful residency in Vegas for years now.
On a more personal note, Usher also welcomed two children with his girlfriend Jenn Goicoechea in recent years. It’s hard to imagine that just a few years ago, the singer was also embroiled in a bizarre lawsuit involving an ex-girlfriend.
A Former Romantic Partner Accused Usher Of Ruining Her Health
It all started in July 2017 when a woman who only referred to herself as Jane Doe filed a suit against Usher, seeking $10 million in damages. The woman claimed that she and the singer became intimate after hooking up in Atlanta in April of that year.
During this time, Jane Doe claimed that she was intimate with the singer and that he always wore protection.
When the two met again in a New Orleans hotel room 12 days later, however, Jane Doe alleged that they did not use protection. Months later, she heard reports about Usher admitting that he has Herpes Simplex 2 and filed the suit because she was unknowingly “exposed.”
Jane Doe also went on to state that she wouldn’t have become intimate with the singer had she known about his alleged herpes.
Later on, Jane Doe, who eventually revealed herself to be Laura Helm, upped her suit to $20 million after a test reportedly confirmed that she, too, contracted the virus. Soon after, however, Helm filed to dismiss the case for technical reasons.
Later on, the case was dismissed again after Usher and Helm “reached an amicable resolution.” The terms of their settlement were never made public.
Usher Also Faced Similar Accusations From Other Parties
Following the dismissal of Helm’s suit against Usher, however, another party came forward with similar accusations against the singer. This time, Quantasia Sharpton, along with a Jane Doe and John Doe, took the singer to court in Los Angeles.
This time, the complaint referenced a settlement that Usher made in 2012 with a woman (the singer’s stylist) who claimed that the singer transmitted his alleged disease to her.
Because of that settlement and Usher never having denied the claims publicly, the suit stated that there is a “legal presumption” that the singer “adopts the accusation as his admission.”
Each of the plaintiffs in this suit also claimed that they were intimate with the singer and that he had failed to disclose that he had Herpes Simplex II Virus prior to the interaction. They also said that they were unaware of the herpes claims against Usher until 2017 (possibly, when the case involving Helm was made public).
Sharpton and her fellow plaintiffs also insisted that Usher never tried to contact them to refute reports regarding his alleged herpes infection and that they could not contact the singer because he would call them using “burner phones.”
Since the suit was made public, a hotel employee has also come forward to corroborate Sharpton’s claims of being intimate with the singer. According to a report from TMZ, Sharpton may have first interacted with Usher when she attended his concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 2014.
Published photographic evidence shows Sharpton alongside August Alsina, who had been Usher’s opening act at the concert.
During Sharpton’s press conference with lawyer Lisa Bloom, it was claimed that Sharpton was picked from the crowd to meet the singer backstage. One of Usher’s staff was said to have taken down her phone number and later on, Sharpton reportedly received a call from the singer, which is how they ended up meeting at the Days Inn, which is near the concert venue.
One of the staff who works at Days Inn claims to have seen Usher appear in the hotel lobby shortly after midnight. She says that she also saw Sharpton come down and greet the singer. Afterward, Usher allegedly brought Sharpton to his hotel room.
Sources close to the singer, however, have since denied that he ever hooked up with Sharpton. In 2019, it was revealed that Bloom filed to have Sharpton’s suit dismissed. Unlike in the case of Helm, however, it is unclear if there was a settlement involved.
Since The Charges Have Been Dropped, Such Suits Against Usher Have Become An Onstage Joke
To be clear, however, Usher himself knew the jokes were coming beforehand as the one who took them to the stage is none other than his good friend, Tiffany Haddish.
During a 2022 interview with Cosmopolitan, the comedian admitted to having a joke that goes, “I curse you out with joy. I hope that you spread it. I hope you spread it like Usher spreads herpes.” Haddish also revealed that she even told Usher about the joke.
And while some may have expected Usher to take offense, it turns out he was fine with it. Usher reportedly told Haddish she was crazy, but didn't confirm or deny the rumor.
Since then, it’s also worth noting that lawsuits against Usher that are similar in nature to Helm’s and Sharpton’s have ceased (although he still occasionally gets trolled for it). And while Haddish might keep those jokes coming, Usher is living his life just fine.
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