It's the hangout that no one expected following Usher's show-stopping Super Bowl LVIII halftime performance. During the singer's Thailand honeymoon with his new wife, Jennifer Goicoechea, the R&B vocalist hit Bali to give Russell Simmons a visit.
The meetup between Ush and Simmons disappointed some fans of the Confessions artist, as Simmons has faced a number of rape, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct allegations for roughly seven years. Despite Simmons vehemently denying the allegations, even claiming he's passed nine lie detector tests where he was questioned about the alleged encounters, he was accused of rape in a new lawsuit filed last month.
The lawsuit comes from a former Def Jam music executive and video producer, named 'Jane Doe' in court documents, who alleged that Simmons raped her at his apartment in the 1990s, resulting in the woman experiencing panic attacks, depression and anxiety in the workplace.
But Simmons has refused to speak on the accusation, instead celebrating his time spent with Usher when the singer went to Bali.
"When i was at the lowest point in my life i woke up and this man was sitting by my bed," Simmons wrote. "i had known usher since he was a kid but we really bonded because of our mutual love for self discovery and our belief in Yogic science as a direct route to realizing Gods conciousness in ourselves ...People remember to remember this ..a friend walks in when others walk out ... i will never forget the generosity of spirit i witnessed in this man God bless you baby bro @usher 🙏🏾 love you !!!!"
The post bewildered many on social media, considering that Usher was alluded to in a lawsuit from music producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones, who claims he was sexually assaulted by Diddy and other associates while working on 2023 album The Love Album: Off the Grid. In court documents, Usher was alleged to have had a sexual relationship with Diddy, who once mentored him and exposed him to a raunchy lifestyle in the 1990s, when Usher was a minor.
Last week, Diddy's former bodyguard, Gene Deal, sat down with The Art of Dialogue and alleged that Usher was groomed by Diddy during his time in the 'Flavor Camp' as a teen. One incident allegedly led to Usher going to the hospital.
"Now, I'll let Usher explain that to y'all. I'll let Usher tell that story," Deal said on the show, holding back on some of the details in response to Usher's Club Shay Shay appearance. "But how dare you say a man that groomed you, you gonna give him a pass. Bruh, you know I know."
