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Published 08:48 30 Jul 2026 GMT
Usher made a dig at the fan whom he kicked off stage during a steamy segment of his previous performance on The R&B Tour.
The 'Yeah!' artist had broken his silence following the awkward on-stage interaction that he had with the fan.
What was meant to be a steamy, intimate routine quickly transformed into a tense interaction when the fan appeared uncomfortable with the attention.
The incident occurred in Nashville during a stop on The R&B Tour, which the 47-year-old singer is co-headlining with Chris Brown.
The concertgoer has been identified as Gabrielle Cheyenne, and she attracted attention online following her noticeably awkward response to Usher’s choreography on Saturday (July 24).
While shirtless, Usher tried to get closer to the woman while singing to her, but she remained stiff and uncomfortable during the segment.
“I don’t think she want to be on the stage, huh?” Usher pointed out at the time - but now, he has issued a warning to future volunteers.
Speaking to the audience before inviting a female fan up onstage for another sensual performance of 'Can U Handle It?' on Tuesday night (July 28), he set out some rules.
Usher explained: “Now before we get started, don’t bring your ass up here if you don’t want to be here,” he stated at the Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.
“God don’t like ugly. But he most certainly don’t feel too good about pretty privilege either,” he further stated.
Brown could be seen laughing at the request when the camera panned over to him, as many in the crowd likely were too.
But this time, when Usher brought a female concertgoer onstage, she put in a hell of a performance to put a show on for the crowd.
It was a stark contrast to the weekend, where Usher had to walk away mid-performance and wave his hands, signaling his production crew to remove her from the stage.
The viral fan spoke out after the incident on Saturday, claiming that it would have been completely different if Chris Brown had been the one dancing with her.
Gabrielle Cheyenne did not enjoy the intimate interaction, telling TMZ that she didn't mean any disrespect to Usher.
Instead, it was about her personal musical preference, as she revealed that she attended the event specifically to see the other headliner on the ticket.
“Me, solely, I went to the concert for Chris Brown; it’s nothing against Usher,” Cheyenne told the publication.
“So, of course, it would have been a different reaction with Chris Brown,” she continued. “It wouldn’t have been the stiffness or whatever the internet is portraying.”
She made it clear that her energy would have been entirely different if the 37-year-old Brown had been the one performing the steamy routines.
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Published 09:36 29 Jul 2026 GMT
Usher has broken his silence after he kicked a fan off stage due to her awkward response to his "sexual" performance.
As previously reported, the 47-year-old musician tried to serenade a fan in Nashville during his The R&B Tour, which he co-headlines with Chris Brown.
A video from the concert shows the Grammy-winning star, who was shirtless, singing to the fan, identified as Gabrielle Cheyenne, as she sat stiffly and had a tight smile on her face.
The 'Yeah!' crooner tried to save the segment by lightly touching her chin and face, but when he tried to guide her toward an onstage bed, she pulled back.
Usher recognized the lack of chemistry, and backed off. He then asked the crowd: "I don't think she want to be on the stage, huh?", before completely stepping away and signaling for her to be removed from the stage.
The moment blew up on the internet, with many users slamming Cheyenne for her reserved reaction, and arguing that she should have never agreed to go up if she did not want to participate.
"Why would she go up there and play in that man face. Like girl," one user said, while a second reacted: "This is really embarrassing moment for her."
A third criticized: "She shouldn't have went. She did that on purpose. Whether you agree with their performances or not, they show you what they do all the time! She knew so she should have passed it on to the next girl. Smh."
Meanwhile, one user understood both sides: "Nothing wrong on either side. If she didn’t want Usher in her face like that, she’s shouldn’t have gotten up there. But also, Usher is a romanticized celebrity putting on a show, so he has the right to give her the boot if she isn’t playing ball."
Another speculated: "I don’t think his ego is hurt just as a dude in his right mind if I see my actions or advances are making a female uncomfortable im out we not chasing or making a woman feel like I’m on some type of mission."
Cheyenne issued a statement after receiving backlash and explained why she reacted the way she did.
She made it clear that she was more than happy to be seen by the crowd, even if she did not want to get overly physical with the singer.
"First off NOBODY is declining to go on stage," she wrote. "I looked good asf, you think I wasn’t going to let THOUSANDS of people see me?"
She explained that she and her mom had floor seats for the concert. Before the show began, the 'Love in This Club' musician's team approached them and upgraded them to the VIP section due to what she described as "pretty privileges".
However, the staff did not explain what her role would be later in the evening. "They don’t say who you’re going up there for!" she penned, pointing out that Chris Brown was also on the bill.
She then slammed the internet for their reaction, saying: "Y’all wanted me to go up there and f**k him atp?"
As backlash continued into Sunday, Cheyenne shared selfies captioned "Unbothered," making it clear she wasn't letting the online criticism spoil her experience.
She also took to her Instagram Stories to insist that her reserved reaction should not be mistaken for having a bad attitude.
"Y’all aren’t gonna get on the internet calling me out my name and disrespecting me and expect me to keep it cool!" she expressed. She added: "Don’t think that yall are gonna bully me about an experience that yall didn’t get!"
A few days later, Cheyenne doubled down during an interview with TMZ, admitting she would have reacted very differently if she had shared the moment with Brown instead.
“Me, solely, I went to the concert for Chris Brown, it’s nothing against Usher,” she said. "So, of course, it would have been a different reaction with Chris Brown...It wouldn’t have been the stiffness or whatever the internet is portraying."
She also took an unintentional dig at Usher by noting their age difference.
“I mean, I’ve been listening to his music since I was a little girl,” she said. “I know his music, but I can prefer one artist over the other.”
While the 'DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love' singer didn't directly respond to the incident, he did share three videos on his Instagram Story ahead of his concert in Birmingham, Alabama.
The clips showed him inside the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex and were captioned: "Birmingham Night 1" alongside two peace sign emojis and an eyes emoji.
He also paired the videos with his track 'Can U Handle It?'.
This isn't the first time Usher has found himself at the centre of conversation after serenading a fan on stage.
Two years ago, the singer made headlines after actress Keke Palmer attended one of his Las Vegas shows wearing a sheer black dress over a bodysuit.
Usher serenaded her with his hit 'There Goes My Baby' as the pair shared a playful but respectful dance.
After footage of the moment exploded across social media, Palmer's then-boyfriend and the father of her child, Darius Jackson, publicly criticized her outfit, tweeting: "It’s the outfit tho… you a mom."
The 'OMG' singer later addressed the viral moment, saying: "Every night I’m thinking about how the world now is going to react to this moment that I’ll have with whoever I’m choosing to sing to.
"But it was a pop moment, and it was fun to have at least conversation going, and we just keep it light. I don’t see anything negative happening in Las Vegas," he added.
Published 08:47 27 Jul 2026 GMT
An onstage serenade by Usher took an unexpected turn in Nashville during a stop on The R&B Tour, which he is co-headlining with Chris Brown.
The 47-year-old singer pulled a fan from the audience onto the stage for what was supposed to be a steamy, intimate performance. However, the interaction quickly became incredibly awkward as the woman appeared visibly uncomfortable with the attention.
As a shirtless Usher began singing to the fan, identified as Gabrielle Cheyenne, she sat stiffly and offered only a tight smile. The R&B superstar tried to salvage the moment by lightly touching her chin and face, but when he attempted to guide her toward an onstage bed, she pulled back.
Recognizing the lack of chemistry, Usher backed off and addressed the crowd. "I don't think she want to be on the stage, huh?" he asked the audience. He then told the crowd, "I don't think she wanna be onstage, y'all," before completely stepping away and signaling for her to be removed from the stage.
The moment quickly went viral, prompting heavy online criticism from fans who believed she wasted a rare opportunity. Many users roasted her for her reserved reaction, arguing that she should have never agreed to go up if she did not want to participate. The negative feedback prompted Cheyenne to take to social media to defend herself and clarify what happened.
Cheyenne used her platform to fire back at the critics who claimed she should have turned down the opportunity. She made it clear that she was more than happy to be seen by the crowd, even if she did not want to get overly physical with the singer.
"First off NOBODY is declining to go on stage," she wrote. "I looked good asf, you think I wasn’t going to let THOUSANDS of people see me?"
She explained that she and her mom originally had floor seats for the concert. Before the show began, Usher's team approached them and upgraded them to the VIP section due to what she described as "pretty privileges."
However, the staff did not specify what her role would be later in the evening. "They don’t say who you’re going up there for!" she wrote, pointing out that Chris Brown was also on the bill. She mocked the high expectations of the internet audience, adding, "Y’all wanted me to go up there and f**k him atp?"
As the backlash continued into Sunday, Cheyenne posted selfies with the caption "Unbothered 😘" to show she was not letting the commentary ruin her experience. She also used her Instagram Stories to emphasize that her quiet demeanor should not be mistaken for a bad attitude.
"Y’all aren’t gonna get on the internet calling me out my name and disrespecting me and expect me to keep it cool!" she expressed. She added, "Don’t think that yall are gonna bully me about an experience that yall didn’t get!"
Cheyenne argued that her attitude only turns "nasty" when she is provoked by online strangers. While she acknowledges being a quiet person in real life, she made it clear that she has no regrets about how she handled the high-pressure situation.
Ultimately, she was glad to take the spotlight, but she simply was not prepared to give Usher the highly sexualized reaction that his fan base expected.
Published 16:14 27 Jul 2026 GMT
New footage has shed light on a viral concert moment involving Usher and a fan who was removed from the stage during a recent performance.
The incident occurred in Nashville during a stop on The R&B Tour, which the 47-year-old singer is co-headlining with Chris Brown. What was supposed to be a steamy, intimate routine quickly transformed into a tense interaction when the fan appeared visibly uncomfortable with the attention.
The newly released video shows the fan being escorted onto the stage for the planned serenade. Once she is seated, a shirtless Usher begins singing to her while sitting by her side.
As the performance heats up and becomes more physical, the woman appears stiff and offers only a tight smile. The R&B superstar tries to salvage the moment by lightly touching her chin and face, but when he attempts to guide her toward an onstage bed, she pulls back.
Recognizing the lack of chemistry, Usher stops the performance and addresses the crowd. The new footage captures the exact moment the singer realizes the interaction is failing, leading him to say: “I don't think she want to be on the stage.” He then tells the crowd, "I don't think she wanna be onstage, y'all," before completely stepping away and signaling for the fan to be removed.
The fan, identified as Gabrielle Cheyenne, quickly became the target of heavy online criticism after the moment went viral. Many internet users roasted her for her reserved reaction, arguing that she should have never agreed to go up if she did not want to participate. The intense feedback prompted Cheyenne to take to social media to defend her actions and clarify exactly what happened behind the scenes.
Cheyenne used her platform to fire back at critics who claimed she should have turned down the opportunity. She made it clear that she was happy to be seen by the crowd, even if she did not want to get overly physical with the singer.
"First off NOBODY is declining to go on stage," she wrote. "I looked good asf, you think I wasn’t going to let THOUSANDS of people see me?"
She explained that she and her mom originally had floor seats for the concert. Before the show began, Usher's team approached them and upgraded them to the VIP section due to what she described as "pretty privileges." However, the staff did not specify what her role would be later in the evening.
"They don’t say who you’re going up there for!" she wrote, pointing out that Chris Brown was also on the bill. She mocked the high expectations of the internet audience, adding, "Y’all wanted me to go up there and fk him atp?"
As the backlash continued into Sunday, Cheyenne posted a selfie with the caption "Unbothered 😘" to show she was not letting the comments ruin her experience. She also used her Instagram Stories to emphasize that her quiet demeanor should not be mistaken for a bad attitude.
"Y’all aren’t gonna get on the internet calling me out my name and disrespecting me and expect me to keep it cool!" she expressed. She added, "Don’t think that yall are gonna bully me about an experience that yall didn’t get!"
Cheyenne argued that her attitude only turns "nasty" when she is provoked by online strangers. While she acknowledges being a quiet person in real life, she made it clear that she has no regrets about how she handled the high-pressure situation. Ultimately, she was glad to take the spotlight, but she simply was not prepared to give Usher the highly sexualized reaction that his fan base expected.
Published 10:46 27 Jul 2026 GMT
After getting kicked off stage by Usher for refusing to participate in his seductive bedroom routine, a fan fired back at online critics with a brutal, one-word Instagram move.
While social media erupted with backlash over her stiff demeanor, Gabrielle Cheyenne proved she was completely unfazed by the internet roast, taking to her profile to declare herself entirely "unbothered" by the drama.
The tension began in Nashville during a stop on The R&B Tour, which Usher is co-headlining with Chris Brown. The 47-year-old singer pulled Cheyenne from the audience onto the stage for what was supposed to be a steamy, intimate performance, but the interaction quickly became incredibly awkward.
As a shirtless Usher began singing to her, she sat stiffly and offered only a tight smile. The R&B superstar tried to salvage the moment by lightly touching her chin and face, but when he attempted to guide her toward an onstage bed, she pulled back.
Recognizing the lack of chemistry, Usher backed off and addressed the crowd. "I don't think she want to be on the stage, huh?" he asked the audience. He then told the crowd, "I don't think she wanna be onstage, y'all," before completely stepping away and signaling for her to be removed. The moment quickly went viral, prompting heavy online criticism from fans who believed she wasted a rare opportunity, which ultimately set the stage for her defiant social media response.
As the criticism continued to flood social media into Sunday, Cheyenne decided she had seen enough and dropped her definitive response. She posted a series of glamorous selfies with the caption "Unbothered 😘" to show the world that the digital noise was not ruining her experience. The simple, direct word choice served as a clear message to her critics that she felt zero regret for standing her ground on stage.
She also used her Instagram Stories to emphasize that her quiet demeanor should not be mistaken for a bad attitude, refusing to let internet trolls dictate her narrative.
"Y’all aren’t gonna get on the internet calling me out my name and disrespecting me and expect me to keep it cool!" she expressed. She added, "Don’t think that yall are gonna bully me about an experience that yall didn’t get!"
Cheyenne used her platform to fire back at the critics who claimed she should have turned down the opportunity in the first place. She made it clear that she was more than happy to be seen by the crowd, even if she did not want to get overly physical with the singer.
"First off NOBODY is declining to go on stage," she wrote. "I looked good asf, you think I wasn’t going to let THOUSANDS of people see me?"
She explained that she and her mom originally had floor seats for the concert. Before the show began, Usher's team approached them and upgraded them to the VIP section due to what she weaknesses as "pretty privileges." However, the staff did not specify what her role would be later in the evening.
"They don’t say who you’re going up there for!" she wrote, pointing out that Chris Brown was also on the bill. She mocked the high expectations of the internet audience, adding, "Y’all wanted me to go up there and fk him atp?"
Cheyenne argued that her attitude only turns "nasty" when she is provoked by online strangers. While she acknowledges being a quiet person in real life, she made it clear that she remains completely secure in how she handled the high-pressure situation. Ultimately, she was glad to take the spotlight, but she simply was not prepared to give Usher the highly sexualized reaction that his fan base expected.
Published 11:05 13 Feb 2024 GMT
Despite putting on a Super Bowl Halftime show that left viewers thrilled, Usher has found himself at the center of controversy over his physical interactions with surprise guest Alicia Keys.
Check out their performance below:Keys - a 16-time Grammy Award winner - captivated audiences with her stunning appearance on the field, donning a striking red organza cape and a dazzling Dolce & Gabbana catsuit adorned with Swarovski crystals.
Usher, 45, and Keys, 43, surprised fans with a nostalgic rendition of their 2004 hit 'My Boo'.
But while many applauded the electrifying performance, others voiced discomfort over the perceived intimacy between Usher and Keys, given the fact that both are in respective relationships.
Social media erupted with comments questioning the appropriateness of Usher's physical gestures towards Keys, with some users expressing empathy for Keys' husband, Swizz Beatz. One user remarked: "I'd be hot [as f***] if I was Swizz Beatz... Usher was all up on Alicia Keys."
A second asked: "Does Usher know Alicia Keys is a married woman??"
"The way Usher was holding Alicia Keys was hella inappropriate IMO," a third tweeted.
Others were convinced both Usher and Keys must have been in a relationship with each other, with one X user writing: "The way I had to look up if Alicia Keys is still married after this."
"On GOD I’m crashing the stage if anyone hug my girl like this in front of 100m people," another quipped.
Despite the public discourse surrounding her performance, Keys has remained silent on the matter, opting to share images of her custom ensemble on Instagram without commentary.
In other news, Forbes has reported that Usher won't be paid a penny for his Super Bowl performance.
However, judging by the success previous Halftime acts have gone on to have, Usher will certainly be walking away with a smile on his face.
Last year, Rihanna's digital song sales skyrocketed by 390 percent following her performance, along with a surge in sales of her Fenty Beauty products.
Even though artists like Usher won't be receiving a paycheck for their Super Bowl halftime performances, the NFL does foot the bill for bringing these extravagant spectacles to life. According to Reuters, the production costs for the halftime show in 2020 amounted to a staggering $13 million. Additionally, the NFL covers the travel expenses for the performers, ensuring they can deliver unforgettable performances on the grand stage.
Naima Cochrane, a former marketing executive at Columbia and Epic Records, emphasized to Forbes the significance of the halftime show as a marketing opportunity, stating: "There is no bigger moment of impact." She highlighted the importance of providing viewers with a clear call to action immediately after the performance to capitalize on the momentum.
"It would be ridiculous not to have a call to action that folks can take immediately following, like as soon as he says goodnight, there needs to be a button somebody can push to spend some money to do something for him," Cochrane added.
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