Jam: Spotlight on Music StarsUsher and His Ex-Wife Sling Accusations in Nasty Custody Battle
Usher's marriage to celebrity stylist Tameka Foster was brief, but their drama continues as they battle in court over custody of their two young sons.
The R&B singer, whose full name is Usher Raymond, has been facing off against his ex in an Atlanta court to figure out the optimal living situation for their boys, Usher Raymond V, 4, and 3-year-old Naviyd Ely Raymond. Foster, who was married to Usher from 2007 to 2009, wants full physical custody of their kids while Usher wants visitation rights. And there's clearly no love lost between the exes because, during the trial, the accusations have been flying!
On the stand, Usher, 33, detailed an incident during which he brought his new girlfriend/manager Grace Miguel with him to Foster's home — though the woman stayed in the car, which was parked down the hill, "in an effort to prevent any negative interaction." When Foster realized Miguel was in the car, she went to confront her, opening the car door and threatening, "'I'm going to kick your ass, b---h,'" Usher testified. He said Foster spit on Miguel, then attacked Usher when he got between the women. As he and Miguel drove off, Foster then "threw her plate of food" at his car.
For her part, Foster admitted that she told Usher, "I will f--k you up," but she said she did so because she's frustrated with Usher drifting in and out of their sons' lives. "He's gone for months at a time and comes back traipsing in with his girlfriend," she testified. "It was embarrassing."
When Usher was cross-examined by Foster's lawyer, they tried to paint the singer as someone who prefers partying to parenting, allegations which caused Usher to break down in tears on the stand. He was also grilled about his drug use. He testified that he has smoked pot, but his lawyer objected to further questioning about possible ecstasy use. He noted that he never used drugs in front of their sons.
This legal drama between Usher and Foster started back in November when she filed legal documents to strip Usher of joint physical custody of their kids. In the court papers, Foster said the star wasn't holding up his end of their agreement, mostly relating to getting her permission before hiring nannies and turning over the kids to her in a timely manner. She also claimed he was failing to make payments to her to pay for the nannies she employs and he cut off her personal Saks Fifth Avenue credit card, which he specifically promised he wouldn't do. She also wanted an increase in child support because she said, since their divorce, there had been a "substantial change in [his] income" due to his success.
Raymond vs. Raymond, the album Usher put out in 2010 about his divorce from Foster debuted at number one, selling nearly 330,000 copies in its first week alone.
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