Usher Reportedly Innocent In Herpes Lawsuit, Not Willing to Settle

Usher appears to be letting his insiders do the talking about his lawsuit. (Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images)

Despite the lawsuit alleging Usher knowingly infected four people with herpes, the “No Limit” singer isn’t bending to pressure to settle.

Three women and one man claim they contracted genital herpes from Usher, who supposedly didn’t tell them about his alleged status. Sources told TMZ that he has no plans to pay off the accusers to end the suit and a settlement has not been discussed.

The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified punitive damages from Usher, who has not publicly addressed the allegations. Two women claim they had vaginal sex with the R&B/pop star and a man claims he engaged in oral sex with him. Quantasia Sharpton is the sole plaintiff who has been identified in the lawsuit, as she held a press conference with high-powered attorney Lisa Bloom describing how she was able to meet Usher for their romp. Bloom said one of the women, who is not Sharpton, has contracted herpes.

Usher insiders say he is innocent and does not have the STI, according to BET.com. They also have denied his involvement with Sharpton on the grounds that she “isn’t his type.”

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top