Usher's camp is painting this as a complete non-story. Through Da Brat, the 'Yeah!' singer says the TMZ report was 'exaggerated,' emphasizing he's been nothing but supportive of Bieber throughout his struggles and wishes his former protégé only the best. The narrative from Usher's side: old friends, no hostility, just love.
But sources close to Bieber tell a different story. They're painting Justin as someone who's been dismissive of Usher for years—reportedly 'always rude' to the R&B veteran—and actively trying to erase everyone from his past. The alleged exchange at Chateau Marmont may have been intense but non-physical, yet it clearly struck a nerve given how quickly this leaked.
TMZ first reported the 'heated exchange' at Beyoncé and Jay-Z's Oscars afterparty earlier this month. Da Brat, speaking on 'The Rickey Smiley Show,' quoted Usher directly: 'This is an exaggeration of the conversation.' The alleged altercation went down at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. Page Six reached out to reps for both Bieber and Usher—neither commented.
The truth likely lives somewhere in the middle. Usher's public response is diplomatic as expected, but the fact that sources are still feeding TMZ details about Bieber's attitude toward his mentor suggests this story isn't fully dead—it just might take time to fully surface.
Well, well, well. The Oscars afterparty drama that had Hollywood buzzing appears to be a whole lot of nothing—or at least that's what Usher's camp wants us to believe.
The R&B veteran, 47, is directly addressing reports of a 'heated exchange' with former protégé Justin Bieber, 32, at Beyoncé and Jay-Z's star-studded bash at the Chateau Marmont earlier this month. And his message? Cool it, people—it's being blown out of proportion.
'I spoke to Usher, and he said, "This is an exaggeration of the conversation,"' Da Brat revealed during an appearance on 'The Rickey Smiley Show.' The rapper, a close friend of Usher's, was quick to defend her friend's character, noting that Usher has been 'nothing but supportive of plenty of issues that Justin Bieber has had throughout the years' and that fans can 'actually check the records for all that.'
However, sources who spoke to TMZ tell a decidedly different story. According to the outlet's insiders, Bieber has 'always been rude' to Usher and is reportedly trying to 'erase everyone from his past.' While the alleged altercation didn't turn physical, it was described as 'intense'—which is saying something at a room full of A-listers who definitely didn't want to be the headline the next morning.
Here's what we do know: Usher served as a longtime mentor to Bieber early in his career, alongside then-manager Scooter Braun. The two had a well-documented mentor-protégé relationship that appeared warm through the years—until recently. In February 2024, sources told Page Six that Usher asked Bieber to participate in his Super Bowl halftime show, but the 'Baby' singer 'wasn't feeling it.' That decline apparently wasn't received well.
Representatives for both singers declined to comment when reached by Page Six. So while Usher's camp is doing the diplomatic dance, the fact that sources are still leaking details about Bieber's supposed attitude toward his mentor suggests this particular chapter isn't fully closed—just professionally managed for now.
