Rumors About Usher’s Relationship With His Mother And Exes Confirmed On ‘Behind The Music’
Usher was accused of firing Patton and explained severing their professional ties in a May 2007 statement he released to the Associated Press.
“I have chosen to take the reins of my career,” he said. “We have a different view and mind-set. I’m doing it and I’m handling it and very, very happy with it.”
Usher made the announcement four months after proposing to his now ex-wife Tameka Foster, contributing to speculation that there was friction between Patton and Foster.
Usher now confirms that his mother did have an issue with Foster. “The relationship between me and Tameka, uh, definitely bothered my mother,” he said. “She never chooses to speak about it, but, I think that she just didn’t approve of it because she didn’t want to.”
On Behind The Music, Patton briefly comments on her son’s controversial business decision.
“I’ve been with him holding his hand since the age of 13,” she said. “So he kind of wanted to step out and do his own thing as a man and I applaud him for that.”
In August 2008, Usher rehired Patton to represent him.
While Usher and his mother have remained close, he was estranged from his father, who died in 2008.
“He was into drugs,” Patton said. “He was into having a great time and that was it.”
Usher grew up wondering why his father, who he is named after, did not maintain contact with him, despite living near by. “I can remember still wondering, ‘Am I not good enough? Does he not want to know me? Does he know we have the same name? Why didn’t he want to call me or come see me? Does he think about me?'” he said.
In the special, Usher also addresses his most famous relationship with TLC member Chili, a courtship that ended after Usher cheated.
Chili said the indiscretion was difficult to handle. “I felt like a fool,” she said.
After Usher and Chili’s breakup, Usher released his successful Confessions album that was fueled by admissions of infidelity. Chili was bothered by all of the attention surrounding the album’s theme.
“I hated that album,” she said. “You know, because I just, I hated what it stood for. I hated that it was blowing up because people were thinking that ‘Oh my God, this is all about their relationship,’ it was just too much. It was a lot for, it was too much for me to handle.”
