Usher has denied claims that he got into a heated argument with Justin Bieber at Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Oscar afterparty.
Last week, TMZ reported that the “Baby” singer, 32, and his former mentor, 47, got into a “violent argument” after Usher angrily approached Bieber at a star-studded party.
But Usher’s friend Da Brat said, “Yeah!” The singer told her during an episode of “The Ricky Smiley Show” that the reports were “exaggerated.”
“I talked to Usher and he said, ‘This is an exaggeration,'” Da Brat said. “He’s just supported Justin Bieber through a lot of the issues he’s had over the years, and you guys can actually check out the record of all of that, and he’s been like that.”
“Justin is on his own journey and facing his own reality that he has created,” she continued. “Usher wishes him nothing but the best and they have no animosity towards each other.”
The rapper said the two singers “definitely love each other.”
“When people see something, they take it out of context and use it as is. All I’m saying here is that it doesn’t matter,” she said. “They’re definitely cool with each other, they have love for each other, and they support each other.”
TMZ’s sources say Bieber and Usher’s argument didn’t turn physical, but it was “violent.”
A source told the outlet that Bieber has been “constantly disrespectful” to Usher and is “trying to erase everything from his past.”
Page Six reached out to representatives for Bieber and Usher but did not receive a response.
Usher and Bieber’s former manager Scooter Braun were key figures in the early stages of Bieber’s career, with Usher serving as a longtime mentor.
A source told Page Six in February 2024 that Usher asked his former protégé to be part of the Super Bowl halftime show, but Bieber “wasn’t up for it.”
A music industry source said at the time: “There’s no bad blood between Usher and Justin. Justin just wasn’t into it, he just wasn’t feeling it.”
Usher said in 2016 that Bieber was “like a child” to him when discussing his past legal troubles.
“As a mentor, he’s been receptive to my opinion. I’m able to give him my perspective,” he said during an appearance on “The Howard Stern Show.” “He’s like a child to me, so I don’t necessarily see it as business. You know what I’m saying? I feel like I’m talking to someone who’s been through hard times.”
“If your child has faced challenges, I think everyone listening to this right now understands that no one is perfect,” he continued. “It’s going to take some time. If he does, I can only show him the reality of what happened…Of course we had tough talks.”
In December, Bieber reflected on “letting go of grudges” while talking about his troubled past in an Instagram post.
“I grew up in a system that rewarded my talent, but didn’t always protect my soul,” he writes. “There were moments where I felt used and rushed and morphed into something I didn’t fully choose. This kind of pressure leaves scars that you don’t see on stage.”
He admitted he had been “living with anger,” but said his faith “healed me.”
“I asked God why. But Jesus continued to see me in the midst of my suffering. Instead of making excuses for my hurt, He showed me how not to suffer,” he wrote.
“I’ve experienced the pain that shaped me before I could even utter a word…I don’t want to burn down the music industry,” he continued. “I want to see it transformed into something safer, more honest, more humane.”
