Usher Raymond appeared on Oprah’s Next Chapter last night, where he spoke about his divorce from ex-wife Tameka Foster Raymond and their long drawn out custody battle.
[READ: Stunts & Shows: Usher Takes Custody Woes to Oprah’s Next Chapter]
The pair met at Raymond’s Atlanta estate where he’s built a huge playground complete with tree house for his two sons. He joked to Oprah that he invited her because he wanted her to see his ?crib,? but the interview was clearly a bit of PR crisis management and who else to call to clean up your image except “Mother O”?
As expected, Usher touched on a few of the things I’d already told you about… like his cheating on his ex-wife Tameka with one of her bridesmaids (click HERE to meet Maya Fox-Davis) and that bizarre Berlin incident where he stomped off the stage (click HERE if you missed that).
[READ: 5 Things That Happened Court That Other Sites Won’t Tell You… ]
Yeah… it was pretty much a play by play of everything I’d already spilled.
[READ: 5 Things Usher Will & Won’t Discuss With Oprah… ]
Watch the full video + a few notable quotables below:
?Of course it hurt me. This is supposed to be the light of my life, and nobody is responding the way I?d like them to respond. There were times when [Tameka and I] both spoke out and we shouldn?t. My relationship was always supposed to be about me and her.?
He also regretted his decision to go on MTV to defend his then-wife. ?If this is someone you choose, then that?s who you chose.?
On being faithful to Foster.
?Towards the end of our marriage I found myself lost, and I just wanted out,? he said, then paused, licked his lips and stared out the window for a moment. ?No. I was faithful at heart, but not faithful all the way. Even having a conversation with another woman, period, about matters of your relationship or emotions is, in my opinion, not being faithful.?
Oprah pressed, ?But were you with another woman sexually??
?When we were separated, yes, I was. We were not divorced,? Usher responded.
Oprah brought up the oft-discussed claim that Usher cheated on Foster with her friend who was a bridesmaid at their wedding.?The conversation about the bridesmaid has always been one that?s been complicated,? he said. ?Outside of my marriage and our separation and our divorce, I did have exchanges with [the bridesmaid]. We were friends. She was someone who was part of the children?s lives before.?
Relieving his mother of her duties as his longtime manager in 2007, shortly after his marriage, of which she openly disapproved.
?I never fired her?there was an opportunity to be a grandmother, to have what truly matters, which was family, which was why I wanted there to be that separation [so they wouldn?t have to fight over business issues]?.
Oprah also spoke with Usher mother & former manager Jonetta Patton and asked her if she’d ever given Usher the ?I told you so,? treatment about his ex-wife.
?I never said, ?I told you so??if you learn something from this, [then] it?s OK. He said to me, ?I?m sorry, I should have listened.? He owned it. That was really special.?
When asked if she was the type of mom who feels that no woman will be good enough for her son, Patton answered emphatically.
?I do have high standards, but there are women who are good enough for him.? [Usher seemed to disagree]
?You just didn?t believe that his ex-wife was the right person for him?? Oprah continued.
?Right,? Patton said. ?I didn?t.?
What Usher DIDN’T address?? 1) his new boo/manager Grace Miguel (and the fact that he was cheating with Tameka with her too),
2) why he wouldn’t take that drug test during the custody battle, and
3) his REAL reasons for initiating the custody proceedings to obtain SOLE CUSTODY of the kids from his ex-wife.
Usher only wanted those kids because he and Tameka can’t communicate effectively. It seems like it’s easier for him to just snatch ’em up and dismiss Tameka entirely.
