Usher publicly thanked the men who saved his son, Usher V, from drowning Monday, but he didn’t have much time to celebrate because his ex-wife Tameka Raymond has already filed court documents to get full custody of both of her sons.
Usher experienced the death of his stepson this year after a tragic boating accident Lake Lanier, and it seemed like he was about to lose another child if not for the help of two contractors.
Usher’s two sons, Usher V and Naviyd, were swimming at house of his aunt, Rena Oden when 5-year-old Usher V got his arm stuck in one of the pool drains while trying to get a toy.
Both Oden and one of her maids tried to get the young boy out of the water but were unable to do so successfully. Instead, Oden rushed to call 911 before a pair of subcontractors who were inside the home came to the rescue.
Benjamin Crews and Eugene Stachurski were able to pull Usher V from the drain and give him CPR. Usher V actually began breathing again while Oden was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher.
While Usher rushed back to Atlanta and showed tons of gratitude to the two men who saved his son’s life, he won’t have much time to just dwell in the joy of his son’s speedy recovery.
Usher’s son may already be sitting up in his hospital bed, talking to people, eating and even laughing, but the “Yeah” singer may actually lose primary custody of his children because of the incident.
According to his ex-wife Tameka Raymond, this is only proof that Usher isn’t around enough to have full custody of his sons.
She filed legal documents asking for primary custody and power over major decision-making involving education, religion and healthcare.
Tameka claimed that Usher is out of town “85 percent of the time” and is pushing the responsibility of being a parent on other adults in his life.
Usher’s ex-wife has been seeking to reverse a court decision that gave Usher primary custody of her children for quite some time, and it seems she is using the unfortunate accident to tip the odds in her favor.
Of course, her plan could backlash and turn out in everyone’s worst interest if neither Tameka nor Usher are found capable of being full-time parents, especially considering all the headline-making drama between both parties.
For now, however, both Usher and Tameka are just grateful that their son is doing OK.
“I’m so happy to say that my son is doing much better,” Tameka tweeted. “Talking & asking for food. Thank you for ur well wishes & prayers.”
Usher released a statement to ET also expressing gratitude for the all the prayers.
“I am blessed and fortunate to say that my son Usher V is doing well and is recovering,” Usher said. “I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of prayers, love and support for my family’s well-being. I would like to thank my Aunt Rena as well as the doctors and nurses who are working with us around the clock.”
He also couldn’t forget to mention the two subcontractors that became heroes in the blink of an eye.
“I would especially like to thank the two men who saved my son’s life, Eugene Stachurski and Ben Crews,” he added. “They are true heroes and I am deeply grateful to them.”
The men just happened to be working on a sound system inside the home and it isn’t clear how bleak the near-death incident would have been if they had not been around to come to the rescue.
