Usher Accused Of Exposing Two Women, One Man To Herpes
Usher might be in some serious trouble.
The "OMG" singer stands accused of allegedly exposing multiple people to the herpes virus—most recently by two women and one man, represented by celebrity lawyer Lisa Bloom. Bloom and accuser Quantasia Sharpton addressed the scandal in a press conference on Monday, Aug. 7, 2017.
TMZ reports that Sharpton revealed that she reportedly met Usher while celebrating her 19th birthday at one of his concerts. She says that the singer's security team contacted her and got her number. According to Sharpton, she later met Usher at his hotel, where they engaged in unprotected sex—without Usher having warned her about his alleged STD. While Sharpton admits she has tested negative for the herpes virus, she says she still feels wronged.
"I feel that my rights were violated," Sharpton told reporters (via ABC News), noting that one of the accusers—both of whom have decided to keep their identities private—may have tested positive for the STD. "I'm speaking out today on behalf of myself and others, some of whom are positive and embarrassed to speak out publicly. I am doing this so he does not do this to anyone else."
Bloom, who acknowledged that Usher's reported STD has not been officially verified, is filing a lawsuit on behalf of the three accusers, alleging that he did not tell them that he had an STD before engaging in sexual activity with them—which is illegal. She also confirmed that one of her clients has tested positive for the virus.
Additionally, Bloom told reporters that she's been contacted by others with similar claims, so she may be filing more lawsuits in the near future.
As Nicki Swift previously reported, Usher made headlines a few weeks earlier after Radar Online discovered that he had allegedly paid a woman $1.1 million as part of a 2012 settlement after she accused him of giving her an STD. Days after the report was released, another woman came forward, claiming that she'd recently had unprotected sex with Usher—and the singer had never said a word about having herpes. Though she demanded $10 million at first, she upped her request to $20 million after learning that she now carries the virus.
Usher has yet to publicly comment on any of the lawsuits.