We haven’t covered the “Usher spread herpes without informing his partner(s)” story until now for a couple of reasons. One is that it originated in Radar Online and was based on a lawsuit from 2012 claiming that Usher spread herpes to an partner by having unprotected sex with her without informing her of his status. That lawsuit was settled for $1.1 million. It seemed like old news frankly, and Radar is fond of hyping their exclusives which often aren’t exclusives and which often don’t prove whatever angle they’re running. (See video of Kevin Hart “cheating” which shows no such thing.) Also, it all seemed rather sordid and like it wouldn’t be in the news cycle for long. Well now that this older story has been in circulation, three more people, two women and a man, will sue Usher, 38, for allegedly doing the same thing to them, infecting them with herpes. Celebrity lawyer Lisa Bloom announced the lawsuit, along with the fact that she will hold a press conference with one of the plaintiffs today, Monday.
Weeks after it was revealed Usher reportedly paid a woman $1.1 million in 2012 to settle a lawsuit after she claimed to have contracted herpes from him, three more individuals are suing the singer alleging he failed to warn them of his STD diagnosis.
Attorney Lisa Bloom — who is representing Rob Kardashian‘s ex Blac Chyna in her revenge-porn case against the reality star — plans to file a lawsuit in California on Monday on behalf of the alleged victims, she stated in a press release on Friday.
While two of the accusers are named in the complaint as “Jane Doe” and “John Doe” and are choosing to remain private, a third accuser will speak out at a press conference after the suit is filed.
According to court documents filed by the celebrity stylist whom Usher, 38, settled the suit with in 2012, the “Confessions” singer was allegedly diagnosed with herpes around 2009 or 2010.
TMZ is reporting that one of the women suing Usher claims she had sex with him earlier this year. Usher has been married since 2015 to his second wife and manager, Grace Miguel. According to TMZ Grace is standing by Usher because she believes his story that this woman the woman who originally sued Usher, who is a friend of Usher’s first wife, Tameka Foster, is out to get him. Court papers claim that Usher contracted herpes in 2009 or 2010, around when he divorced Tameka. Tameka claims that she does not have herpes. She wrote on Instagram “I’m good and my health everywhere is great.”
I don’t know Usher’s deal but he’s a famous performer and is likely able to charm the pants off anyone. I would feel sorry for him for being outed as bisexual in most other situations, but not if he knowingly spread genital herpes to multiple partners without informing them. That’s despicable and I hope his partners receive compensation.
PSA: If you meet a dude who seems too good to be true, sweeps you off your feet right away and has excuses why he can’t wear a condom, run! If he disappears a lot and often cancels at the last minute chances are good he’s doing this to other women and/or men. If you fell for this you’re only human. Just dump him if you can, get to the clinic and get tested. I have heard this story too many times and I would bet that celebrities like Usher are experts at it.
Photos credit: WENN.com
Since this story popped up,have seen a lot of articles about just how many people have herpes and dont know it yikes. I read the cold sores that people attribute to fever,flu or getting over a cold are more likely to be STD.
Cold sores ARE caused by herpes type 1. There are several different strains of herpes. Herpes 1 can be spread by something as innocent is sharing a glass. Most people are infected when they’re children, then they have to live their entire lives with it and will (unintentionally) spread it. They’re called cold sores because you can experience a flare up when you have a cold or fever. In kindergarten, my nephew’s school drilled into them that they should not share food or drinks with anyone. It’s a good thing to teach your kids. Hell, I went hiking the other day, and my friend asked for a drink out of my water bottle. I felt bad saying no, but I refused to drink out of it after that.
It amazes me how many adults who should be familiar with STDs don’t have basic information, but I blame society for the stigma surrounding it that causes people not to educate themselves or discuss it.
Yep most of us knew about this since 2009 and that he slept with the bridesmaid up to the day of the wedding.
But there is a difference between mouth herpes and genital herpes. Usher has genital herpes.
Don’t forget that Usher lived with P Diddy when he first came on the scene and both admitted that he was exposed to certain things that he was too young for.. orgies etc. There have been rumors in black community for a very long time about Usher and Diddy. Being on the the DL is one of things that really hurt the black community, hopefully this will help others.
It doesn’t really matter, you can get type 1 on your genitals or type 2 in your mouth. Heck you can get either type on your eyes, under your fingernails around your anus. The virus isn’t that picky.
Cold sores are a form of herpes (herpes simplex 2) but not the same strain as the STD
Cold sores are HSV1, genital herpes is HSV2. As mentioned in this part of the thread and in later posts, cold sores can also pop up on people’s genitals and vice versa.
Two different strains of the virus. They’re not interchangeable.
Uh, cold sores, AFAIK, are caused by herpes b simplex, not anything else. Dear God, how bad is the health education there?
Both strains can cause blisters on the genitals. If you are infected with type 2 on your genitals you are much more likely the break out often than if you have type 1 there.
@Incredulous: Actually, the viruses CAN be interchanged. There have been many cases reported on which a patient with an “active” cold sore performed oral sex on their partner & the virus was transmitted to their partner in what was eventually diagnosed as genital herpes. It isn’t common, but research is showing cases have been popping up. It may have a lot to do with the partners immune systems, medical history, etc. Viruses are very unpredictable. Bottom line is to communicate very openly with your sexual partner(s).
Oh, & my health education “over here” is quite good, thankyouverymuch. This info was part of a research clinical I did for my masters degree when I became a nurse practitioner.
😉
I think it is clear that you layman’s health education is lacking.
HSV does not discriminate – you can contract either type orally or genitally. HSV 1 isn’t always oral, HSV 2 isn’t always genital.
This.
Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV1) expert (and known type 2 (HSV2) carrier) here. I think I need to demystify a few things for everyone’s sakes:
1- Cold sores are only caused by the Herpes virus. They can be caused by either type 1 or type 2 (see point 3), but generally by type 1. Cold sores are called this way because the flares will tend to happen when your body is under stress (sickness, pregnancy, UV exposure, strong emotion, etc.). But most of the time, the virus stays latent and does nothing.
2- Virtually every adult has antibodies against HSV1 in their blood. This means that pretty much every one of us has been exposed to the virus and, very likely, carries it. For most people, the virus just stays there and does nothing, in a minority of individuals, flares will happen from time to time. About one adult in 5 has HSV2, but this number is likely wrong. The reason is that testing for HSV2 isn’t part of the routine tests carried when you go for a checkup, and the blood test to detect HSV2 isn’t very accurate so clinicians tend to avoid it in order to not freak people out or give them false confidence. There’s likely more people carrying HSV2 than we think. Most of them will never have a flare. “Sadly” (I’ll come back to that), it doesn’t mean that they won’t spread the virus to someone who will have flares.
3- The 2 strains can infect pretty much any region of your body. All they need is to first infect the mucous membrane (aka skin cells) and then move to the nerves where they mostly stay latent. We have skin and nerves all over our body obviously, but type 1 has a preference for the face whereas type 2 has a preference for the nether region. That being said, we see more and more type 1 on the genitals now that oral intercourses are becoming the norm. This also means that a condom won’t prevent the transmission of herpes. Because the virus won’t necessarily be only within the region covered by a condom (or a dental dam). You are more contagious when you have a flare or the 2-3 days before, but viruses can be shed even when everything seems normal (and that’s true for both types)
4- While flares can be painful and annoying (especially the first infection), can we calm down a little bit about them? Because the truth is, most of the time, there won’t be any flare, or the flares won’t be noticeable. You’ll pretty much have a red bump or 2 and that’s it. There’s no pus, nothing smelly or anything like that (the images on google can be misleading, they gave me nightmares when I was writing my thesis). As I said, I know I’m a carrier because I got tested after learning that my ex was cheating on me (I asked for all the tests in the world). Even if I worked on the virus for a very long time, I didn’t even knew I had it before the test. I’m *lucky* that I have very infrequent flares that I only recognize because I’ve been made aware that I carry it.
Having herpes can be annoying, but it’s also not the end of the world IF you’re in good health and not pregnant. If you’re pregnant and have a flare, taking antivirals can be a good thing. You might also need a C-section when giving birth because you don’t want the newborn to be exposed to the virus while getting out, but that’s a conversation you need to have with your MD/OBGYN. Herpes infections are the leading cause of acquired blindness in the world. However, this mostly happens in poor countries, it is totally preventable. You can (and should) have a happy and healthy sex life even if you are an HSV2 carrier. You should use protection whenever you hookup simply because there are other STIs out there, but unless you have frequent flares (which can indicate another health issue btw), I’m not really sure you’d need to disclose your status to every partner (although it’s the correct thing to do).
Usher has always been a crap person, he would be this way even if he didn’t have herpes
Arpeggi thanks for this. There’s so much misinformation about herpes. I got infected by my husband when we first got together. He wasn’t even aware of carrying the virus although in hindsight remembered that his ex used to get occasional cold sores. Unfortunately I had a lot of recurrences for the first few years although I understand that this is not typical. Ultimately the symptoms aren’t that bad, it’s the stigma that’s worst. Given its prevalence in the population and the fact that condoms don’t necessarily protect against transmission it seems a bizarre thing to sue for.
It is also possible that your partner may actually have cold sores on their genitals and not actual HSV2. It does happen, particularly if the uninfected partner has neither virus in their system.
There are DNA tests that can be done on the virus for people to find out. It is extremely difficult to transmit HSV1 that is on genitals to other people, mainly because 2 out of 3 people ON THE PLANET have it already.
However, people should always share their sexual health with a partner. It’s their right, and yours, to know.
Thank you very much for all the information.
I didn’t really paid attention to people with cold sores (several members of my family have them), I’ll be more careful now, even if it might be too late.
I think I speak for some when I say eww. It’s fine that he has an STD but tell your partner for goodness sake.
The way you said eww is Probably the reason so many people don’t reveal they have it. But, absolutely, it’s reprehensible to knowing potentially infect people n no excuse to not use protection at least.
Yes. Eww to his behavior and not to having herpes, for sure.
I did a bit of work for a sexual health clinic that was lobbying for STD checks as part of a routine annual physical (they were not successful). Their arguement was that many STDs are asymptomatic, especially in men, and many people simply do not know they have or are spreading STDs. Usher may not believe he has an STD because he has never had symptoms.
I think he does. Someone close to him, I forgot the name said that Usher found out he had herps when he went to the doc because he was oozing out of his penis. If a woman is accusing you of giving her an STD and you paid her off I’m willing to bet you knew you had it or you got yourself checked out.
He knew he has herpes according to 2012 lawsuit
I read the original dlisted story that talked about usher having green stuff ooze from his d*ck, but that sounds like the clap, not herpes
Knowing and believing are two different things. It sounds like there is a lot of denial in the House of Usher.
If he had oozing from his penis, that is not herpes. Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Tricomonas and UTI’s are are the most common reasons for this. Herpes creates a blister that pops and then a sore that looks like a cold sore or a canker sore (which are NOT herpes).
It seems like the original lawsuit was Tameka’s friend and bridesmaid at their wedding. She only got $1 million. The subsequent lawsuits are entirely different people so I’m not sure why his wife Grace is acting like it’s not an issue that he allegedly slept with another woman in April. That was the second lawsuit. The new lawsuit are other recent encounters. I think the male may have been a mmf threesome, but who knows. I find it strange that he has spread the virus to so many people through one or two encounters if he’s on medication. I didn’t realize it was THAT contagious, when suppressed through medication.
Stories like this are the ones I usually have hard time believing, not because I think the accusations are false but because it’s so sickening it’s hard to wrap my head around it.
I truly feel for Grace Miguel, she may be sticking by her husband now but I assume this is such an embarrassment for her.
Most of the population has herpes.
Unless all of these people were virgins who haven’t had sex with anyone since they have no real way of knowing where they contracted the virus as it’s commonly asymptomatic.
Ha, I wish I was asymptomatic when my cheating boyfriend gave it to me. No condom because I thought our relationship was monogamous. Tough lesson. I was really sick, and periodically got sick a couple times a year for a good 10 years after that. I was terrified to date anyone else after I broke up with him, thinking they’d want nothing to do with me after learning the truth. Thankfully I did eventually become asymptomatic and found a partner who wasn’t appalled at my diagnosis.
As common as it might be, it’s really scary getting the diagnosis. It can even cause problems for the baby during childbirth, so it’s not exactly an innocuous virus.
Esmom… I am sorry that happened to you. Something like this happened to me also. I have been with two people… And I got it.
That’s why I don’t understand how any of these people can be shocked. Surprise! Std’s are real! And if you sleep with enough random people, you will eventually catch something!
Lalu, thanks and sorry to hear of your similar situation. I eventually realized that it’s not that big of a deal but at the time, when I was 20 and also trying to process the fact that my boyfriend was a cheater, it felt devastating.
The stigma of herpes is pretty strong and a diagnosis can definitely screw you up and make you feel so ashamed even if getting infected by the virus in the first place wasn’t your fault. I studied herpes for a living and even I felt terrified when I found out I had it (and thought of murdering my ex, good thing he was now living on another continent), so I can imagine how terrible it can be for anyone else!
I sort of blame the Reagan era bout all this, they made such a fuss about STIs (mostly AIDS and herpes) and linking it to having a low virtue and stupid things like that that it’s now engrained in our brains. There are still a lot of misconceptions even within the medical community about it and that doesn’t help.
That is awful. Unfortunately there are others in the limelight who have done this to people too. It must have felt scary for a long time.
I also thought condoms don’t necessarily protect you against herpes?
I thought that as well LIttlemiss.
They don’t, as the lesions don’t always appear directly on the genitals (they can appear on the skin surrounding the genitals or on the pubic mound – which condoms don’t cover).
Most of the population has Herpes Simplex 1(oral herpes), they are talking about Herpes Simplex 2 (genital) It is not always asymptomatic if you read 2012 lawsuit it’s pretty obvious she contracted it from him based on when they had sex and the onset of her symptoms including fever,blisters,etc.
This is not true. Last time I checked the CDC said about 1 in 6 American adults had genital herpes. And I believe that this particular figure might be specific to a certain age range/age group. So no, most people do not have genital herpes.
That being said, I don’t understand why any sane normal person would have sex with someone who has green discharge coming out of their penis or vagina, cause clearly, that means there is a problem. If not an STD, a serious personal hygiene problem.
Do these people deserve millions? Probably not, do they deserve something? Probably. Why? Because the person they were having sex with knowingly infected them with an incurable STD. It’d be different if Usher legit didn’t know but it sounds like he did. So he does have a responsibility to be upfront with this partners.
Green discharge? Yeah I don’t think that’s what happened. Do you think that’s a symptom of genital herpes?
Many people have more than one STI ,the green discharge may be because of another STI
Herpes and many other STDs are common. When I found out that I had hpv, I totally freaked out. I thought that since I hadn’t been with many guys and we always used protection, I’d be safe. My doctor told me that 75% of sexually active people get an STD at one time in their lives and guys often don’t show signs of them. I never broke out in anything, and it’s gone now, but I always tell new partners that I’ve had it
I have two close friends with herpes–one is a female who slept with an Air Force man casually (not to stereotype but be VERY careful sleeping with military men, most tend to get around a lot), and the other is a male friend who found out he had it after dating his girlfriend monogamously for 5 months. She obviously gave it to him, denied it, and thus, he dumped her. He has sadly had more of an issue with dating than my female friend who married the next man she dated. There is quite the stigma still.
HPV doesn’t go away. It might go dormant but you must tell your doctor you had it since it can lead to cervical cancer. You’re never out of the woods and should be diligent especially if you are of child-bearing age.
As soon as I see Lisa Bloom’s name, I picture her running down the street chasing an ambulance. Her only scruple is money. That said, dick move IF he didn’t tell his partners. They may or may not have gotten herpes from him but don’t they also have culpability in using protection?
Jane Doe claimed that the first time she and Usher had sex they used protection. She said a couple of months they had sex again and they didn’t use protection. It’s wrong of Usher to not tell people he is sleeping with he has a STD.
That being said why is she running around sleeping with a married man. If he is cheating on his wife with you there are probably other women he is banging as well. I don’t have sympathy for this woman, I really don’t. Those STD rumors about Usher has been around for years, I’m sure she heard about them.
Yes… Hard to feel sorry for a woman who knowingly slept with a married man and caught an std. I feel sorry for his wife.
She’s Gloria Allred daughter, she learned ll ambulance chasing in the crib.
What i can’t get my head around is the detail in one of the lawsuits where the person saw that he had a GREEN DISCHARGE from his P, and STILL had unprotected sex, nevermind running screaming from the situation immediately.
Unbelievable that this person was that determined to have sex with him either because he is a star, was paying her OR he charmed her into disbelieving what she had seen.
Green discharge = no sex. No brainer.
That is so disgusting. I can’t imagine seeing that and being like,”meh, it’s fine.”
That being said though, he’s gross and it’s awful that he’s doing this. But I do have a legal question for any of the CB Lawyers.. if he is taking medication and still spreading herpes, is he liable? Going to go ahead and assume he’s not taking meds if he’s having discharge but couldn’t he argue that he was taking meds and isn’t responsible? Or is it because he didn’t disclose, even if he is taking medication?
I wish men got offered testing as often as women do. My OB offers a test anytime I have a visit. I asked my husband and he said he’s never been offered one.
I’m the AIDS generation. You are not coming near me without a certificate of health AND we are wrapping it up regardless of the certificate.
I know too many people with freaky stories of catching all manner of things because they were not vigilant. Even in committed relationships.
I think in California, there’s a duty to disclose. I’m not sure about other states. Those types of laws were promulgated in the height of the AIDS epidemic. So, yeah, regardless of treatment, he had a duty to disclose that he had an incurable and contagious condition to potential partners.
LAK, I agree with you completely. I get laughed at A LOT, but all my long-term partners have been screened for STDs before I slept with them, and I did the same. And still insisted on condoms. I have actually never had a single STD, not even HSV-1, which apparently is unusual. But I was a teenager and just becoming interested in boys and sex when HIV and AIDS, which up to that point had been known as a “gay person’s disease”, finally was understood to be an STD that anyone could get. Mine was the first generation to come of age understanding that sex COULD kill you, and it would be at least another decade before an effective treatment would come to market. So yeah, I’m a little paranoid. But I’m OK with that.
And yes, if you sleep with someone knowing you have an STD that they might catch and you’re exposing them to it without their knowledge or consent, in many jurisdictions it’s assault and battery.
Izzy: holding hands with you in recognition. Unprotected SEX KILLS was the message. I actually have a real life example which i never forget, no matter how tempted i am to be less vigilant. The older sister of a friend caught HIV from her husband. She was saving herself for marriage, but it turned out, he had a prostitute habit. She died within a year of being diagnosed partly because the shock of discovery precipitated her decline, but also because in those days AIDS was a death sentence due to lack of drugs.
Honestly, i’m so paranoid about STDs that an unexpected pregnancy isn’t a big deal to me. Better a baby than a disease.
I don’t get that either. I have never had an STD for which I am thankful but I am paranoid about them. Green ooze is No and don’t call me. Anyone who would attempt that knowing their junk isn’t healthy is a disgusting human being.
That part seems so sensationalized that I just can’t believe it. Clearly he isn’t the most stand up guy, but if you’re at the point of green discharge then I just don’t believe you’d be all that horny. He has access to top doctors. That’s just beyond gross.
Unless the statement is an embellishment? That’s all I can think of because, Yes, duh, no brainer for sure. Ick.
You can spread herpes even if you wear a condom. The virus generally is on all parts of the genital area including the pubis. All it takes to spread it is shedding skin.
That said, regardless of using condoms or not, if you have an STD, you should let your partner know before doing anything — even if it’s virtually undetectable. Eh hem. Charlie Sheen.
Question: Of course you should tell your partner, I am curious to know, if you do have an STD do you have some kind of Dr.s note you produce to your partner,do they sign some sort of acknowledgement that they are aware you have an STD? Seriously how does it work, some of these people are rich and famous,what if they did verbally communicate this and the partner turns around later and says they were an unaware and sues ?
I work in the medical field and it’s frightening how many people have herpes, and std’s in general. People you would never in a million years suspect, and the younger generation is so nonchalant about them, “oh it’s just chlamydia”, and they’ll come in for treatment every few months! That’s how diseases are able to outsmart antibiotics and become resistant. People won’t use protection since it doesn’t feel as good(even I’m guilty of this excuse years ago), or being lazy, who knows. I also see a lot of patients who are married and end up contracting something from a cheating partner, which is particularly sad in my opinion. Wrap it up folks, and get tested every 6 months to a year!
@Jess: Exactly! I’m shocked too. I can understand how older generations didn’t know (we’ve had several geriatric patients contract STDs, were married for 50 yrs, then starred having new partners) but younger generations?!?
I don’t get it. I’m 37, so STD/STI ed was a big part of my public school education & it had a strong impact on me.
My hubby & I have been married for 12 yrs & monogamous for longer than that, yet I’ve had STD tests run when my physicians are pulling diff types of bloodwork. I trust my hubs & it’s unlikely something from before would still be latent at this point, but why not? Knowledge is power & we all need to be proactive about our individual health. I’ve also given birth to 2 kids & wanted to do all I could to protect their health & development.
Ladies: we all have the right to protect & inform yourselves.
Edit: I realize men do read here too, so guys you have that right, too 😉
The thing that blows my mind is people being surprised that they catch diseases from one night stands and such.
If a guy is having a one night stand with you and doesn’t care about using protection… That probably isn’t the first time he’s done that. I would assume he had something.
I would also assume that a woman that would do this probably already had diseases too. These people probably had the herp already.
Getting herpes, just like any other STD is more the luck of the draw. One could argue that you are more at risk the more sex you have, because of exposure and all that. But there are plenty of men and women who have lots sex that ranges from one night stands to long-term monogamous relationships, and they never get any type of STD. On the flip side, people can get STD’s from a long term partner who was unfaithful or even the first time they have sex.
So no, just because you have or may have had a one night stand does not mean that you already have diseases or that you are diseased. I personally know a few people with Herpes and nobody got a from a one night stand. Most have gotten it from a long term partner who unknowingly passed the virus on. And modern science can trace the spread of most viruses nowadays, which is why Usher was unable to claim that his partner (the first one anyway) already had it. They were able to prove that she got it from Usher.
We’ll just have to disagree there. I do not think that getting std’s is just “luck of the draw”. Being promiscuous is a high risk behavior and makes it more likely that some things are going to happen. Just like crossing the street without looking.
I am not judging other adults for how they conduct themselves… I am just saying… You take chances and things happen.
That’s odds and it is real.
@Pat and Lalu
you are both Right it is a luck of the draw in the sense i know of teens who got on their very first time, and older couples who had maybe 2-4 partners , to date or thought they were in a monogamous relationship, even married and got it from their partner. i know a woman who got it at 50! from her 2nd husband who was the 3rd person she had ever been with .That being said where Lalu has a point mathematically and statistically speaking the more partners one has then it does increase the odds of infection
Also i find a lot of these wrap it comments , interesting. whilst wearing a condom helps minimize STI overall. herpes is often spread through skin to skin contact even when there is no evidence of an outbreak.Thighs. pubic mounds and genitalia can come in contact during ” protected sex”
The lack of education about how herpes is spread , the nonchalant oh well everybody has it ( NOT TRUE ) and the selfish well i not having a flare up so i cant spread it no one has to know is a big part of the rapid spread of this disease
I dont think people should be stigmatized for having the disease so all those Usher memes and jokes are not cool , but anybody who has it and does not tell their partner is selfishly jeopardizing someone else health and taking away that persons right to choose and this imo makes them a garbage person plain and simple
I agree with blogdis. Some people are careless and contract an STD. Others are very careful, and in a committed relationship, but their partner unfortunately is dishonest and they get an STD. I know more than one person this has happened to. They were careful, and at the time they did not think they had any reason not to trust their partner.
@Blodgis I was reading a book within the last 2 weeks that was saying it’s the over 50 generation that is the fastest growing for contracting STDs. Being close to that age it’s understandable because when we were teenagers it was free love and no one got anything. Then marrying early 20’s being with one person you get in that state of mind that nothing will happen. Fast forward to all the current over 50s divorced and back in the dating scene. They are still in the no-condom mindset. It’s unfortunate but that class will just grow in transmitting STDs to their own generation.
“my health everywhere is great” HILARIOUS!
Anyway, are we talking herpes simplex 1 or 2?
She certainly got her revenge. 🙂 She was dragged unmercifully during her relationship with and divorce from Usher.
The man sueing him could also be a partner of the women he slept with.
Lisa Bloom said all her clients had direct sexual contact with Usher.
She should put that on her business card.
BTW there are 4 additional people not three.Another women,another Jane Doe, is suing but she is represented by another attorney Lisa West.She came forward a couple days after 2012 lawsuit became public.
And this is why you should never have unprotected sex with a person you hardly know.
I feel bad for Grace.
And Usher had an affair wwith her while still married to Tameka.
Why do you feel bad for Grace? She was sleeping with Usher while he was still married to Tameka. She also knew about his infidelity. She knew what she was getting into just to be with a younger successful R&B singer.
Tameka was sleeping with Usher when he was with Chilli from TLC.
Herpes Simplex 1 is NOT something to be ashamed of as many of the population have it, such as myself! I had never had sex with anyone when I realized I had it because I was a freshmen in high school and had a cold sore and hadn’t even had a real make out session up to that point…researched and found out its a common virus that most likely is contracted from kisses and or sharing drinks with infected ppl. I haven’t had a flare up in years and when i feel one coming on, I know I’m getting sick or severely stressed. I also refuse to kiss my husband and or share drinks. I find it uncomfortable 1st of all and lastly gross. Knowingly making someone sick with genital herpes is horrendous as it’s incurable & the affects are pretty devastating. However if some dude is leaking pus from his wang RUN..do not have unprotected sex with him moron. Ugh society makes me sad. Use your brain and protection ALWAYS
And lysine – you get that tingle, take a lysine tablet. Stops them cold (for most people).
you can also have a dentist use a laser on it when it starts to tingle. A lot of dentists in Canada will take a quick appointment to to do that when you feel one coming on
Yeah cold sores are so not a big deal. In Aus people don’t really call them ‘herpes’ they just say they have a cold sore. I’ve had one cold sore in my life and I hadn’t been anywhere near anyone at the time so who knows where I picked it up, it’s not a concern. Nobody would think of shaming someone for it because you can get it from so many different things. I only see American commenters routinely talking about cold sores like they’re some dirty, gross thing.
Everyone on this post needs to stop saying “most of the population has herpes” that is absolutely not true. It’s annoying to read.
People on this post who are saying “most of the population has herpes needs to stop saying that.” There, I fixed it for you. Everyone on this post is mot saying that. I know I’m not.
It absolutely is correct. A mathematical majority of people have herpes. It’s asymptomatic in most of us, but we have it. Even kids have it. Surprise!
@Betsy
This statement needs to be clarified as it can be misleading there is a whole family of herpes viruses and this is what the medical community is referring to loosely it does not mean that the majority of the population has contracted herpes sexually.
Chicken Pox, mono and cold sores hSV 1 are a part of the family that is not necessarily sexually contracted. HSv1 and hsv 2 (which traditionally was called the genital herpes ) are now somewhat interchangeable as the increase in oral sex means that anyone with regular cold sores can transmit this to someones genitalia and vice versa.Also some of these types manifest as shingles in some people later on in life
The everybody has it might be meant not to stigmatize , yes but its a part of the nonchalance with which people are thinking its no big deal not to tell the partner and why the infection has spread so much over the years so I get where Kimma is coming from to an extent
@blogdis- Isn’t mono usually EBV and less frequently CMV? Not HSV?
Edit: just learned that EBV is HSV4.
@BLOGDIS, that isn’t entirely true either. The “everyone has Herpes” statement refers only to HSV1 and not to all the species of the herpesvirus family… And considering that more than 90% of the adult population has antibodies raised against HSV1, that statement is true. Now, it’d still be true if we were talking about the family: pretty much everyone has been infected with EBV or HCMV as kids (better get mono as a kid than as an adult anyway) and the same goes for the Varicella-Zoster virus. VZV is the causal agent of both chickenpox (the primary infection) and shingles (secondary infection, when the virus comes out of latency due to a stress). While it is estimated that 20% of sexually active adults carry HSV2, that number is likely higher because it is underdiagnosed.
Both HSV1 and HSV2 can be transmitted in a non-sexual way: if you touch a region where the virus is shedding and touch any other region of your or anyone else’s body, you can infect it with HSV1/2. It’s the reason why we’ll tell people not to touch their cold sores. For some reason we don’t totally understand (cross-immune response, most likely), while you can definitely be infected by both types of HSV, if you have oral herpes, you’re less likely to have genital flares from type 2 and vice versa.
@Arpeggi
My salient point still remains that the “everyone has it chorus ” usually comes up when one is discussing STI andthis can give people the impression that the majority of the pop has been exposed to herpes through sexual contact and that simply isn’t true
Like i said i get where it may be an attempt to destigmatize the infection but it also can have s the effect of leading to nonchalance and carelessness that contributes to increased Sexually transmitted Herpes
blogdis I agree. It can be misconstrued since most people don’t understand the complexity of the herpes virus. They only think of the STD and nothing else.
@blogdis, I certainly hope that people don’t think that “everyone has a STI”, but I also don’t think that knowing and understanding the facts leads to nonchalance and carelessness. If anything, I think it enables us to have more honest conversations. Too many times, it seems like talks about STIs are just about scaring and shaming people, they sound like the sex-ed class in Mean Girls and that is actually dangerous because people won’t take you seriously if you sound like that. STIs pose a real threat to public health: if left untreated many can lead to fertility issues even when asymptomatic, syphilis can lead to brain damages and while in many countries HIV is not life-threatening anymore, it remains a chronic condition that requires frequent medical appointments and heavy medication.
That being said, herpes virus type 1 or 2 causes none of these health problems. And HSV1 isn’t really considered to be a STI, it can be acquired during sex, but it’s not its main route of contamination, most people infected with HSV1 get it when they are kids or in their teens. The “everyone has it” is really just about HSV1 and truth is, if you are an adult, it is very likely that yep! you have been exposed to it already.
HSV2 is generally acquired through sexual intercourse and thus, those who know that they carry the virus should be careful and mention it to their partner. The sad thing though is that a) condoms won’t provide a good protection b) there isn’t a cure for it and c) many carriers, unlike Usher, don’t know that they are carrier because in most places, testing for HSV2 isn’t common (and the test isn’t super accurate). HSV1/2 can be a threat if, for whatever reason, you have a weak immune system. Genital lesions also increase your risk of contracting another STI, which is not something to take lightly. HSV2 can be particularly dangerous while in your 3rd trimester because it can be spread to the kid (fortunately, there are easy ways to avoid this). But, in most people, an HSV2 infection will either be asymptomatic or lead to a few red bumps. It shouldn’t be the butt of every bro jokes, it shouldn’t be shameful, other STIs are far worst. Since you don’t know the immune status of all your sex partners, yeah, mentioning something before having intercourses is the right thing to do. But we shouldn’t make the infection sound worst than it actually is. Scare tactics only lead to shame and fear and this increases high risks behaviors
My doctor was the one who told me 75% (lots and lots ) of people have herpes or some kind of STD. I think that counts as most people. Even children with a cold sore have herpes. It’s a fact.
Why is a common fact annoying to read? Perhaps getting educated on the type of virus most ppl have could limit spreading it around. Also removing the stigma… most of those who have Herpes simplex 1, including children, didn’t contract from sexual contact. There, is that less annoying?
Sorry, but it’s a scientific fact that more than 90% of individuals over 40 have antibodies raised against HSV1 in their blood. Which means that they’ve been exposed to herpes at some point in their lives. Just like chickenpox or mono (other members of the herpesvirus family), this likely means that after the first exposition, the virus went into your nerves and stays there and does nothing. It’s basic epidemiology
Annoying? It might not be fun to know that herpes is so common, but it’s the absolute truth. People who have herpes might feel that having the virus is a lot more annoying than just reading about the true fact. When I have a cold sore, I think it’s annoying, but nothing to be ashamed of.
Check your facts Kimma
I knew a young woman who contracted an STD the first time she had sex and with her long term BF who was supposed to be a virgin too. He never admitted it was he who gave it to her and then ignored/ghosted her. She was so beautiful, funny and sweet and it deeply affected her for years. It was a real wake up for me as I was in a long term relationship and was no longer using condoms. From that point on my BF had to wear condoms. He didn’t like it at all but too freaking bad!
It’s Bieber isn’t it?
Lol @ word! This is news to me though…..I never heard about the lawsuit in 2011/12, maybe because I wasnt really into gossip at that time or just wasnt paying attention. But what a mess….all these women (including his current wife) who slept with him knowing that he was with someone else. Just wow!
The woman that is suing him now wasn’t even infected with Herpes by Usher. She has tested only negative for it. I feel like she is looking for a hefty payday here. Yes, she has every right to be upset that he did not disclose his status to her but since she did not get the virus from him what legal standing does she have to get a settlement from him?
Yeah Shelley I thought it was a known thing about he and Diddy. I don’t see this changing the DL culture though, too entrenched on too many levels. I also thought it was against the law not to disclose STDs. We had a case here with a man knowingly spreading HIV.
Wow, the misinformation and lack of knowledge on this thread is amazing.
Herpes Simplex 1 is cold sores. Herpes Simplex 2 is genital herpes. As someone mentioned on here, they can be interchangeable. Rarely, a person may end up with Simplex 1 on their genitals or vice versa.
At no time does herpes cause green puss, or any of the interesting things people seem to think. Anyone know what a cold sore looks like? That’s what genital herpes looks like. People can have different levels of outbreaks, some every few weeks or months, some people, never. The same as people with cold sores.
And for those who think that they have never had herpes, odds are good that’s not true. Have you had chicken pox? That’s Herpes 3, which leads to Herpes Zoster that causes Shingles. Have you ever had mono? Guess what?! You too have ridden the Herpes train as that is Herpes 4. Herpes 5 is nasty. It also causes mono, but is the stronger of the two. That is one that causes issues with babies, people with compromised immune systems, and can cause hepatitis. This can be sexually transmitted, transmitted during birth, transmitted through breast feeding, blood transfusions, and organ transplants. Herpes 6 causes nasty fevers and rashes in babies. Herpes 7 is closely related to 6. Herpes 8 is the real prize winner though. It is the one that causes the complications for those with AIDS; purple tumors called Kaposi’s Sarcoma, lymphomas, and other cancers. Unless you have AIDS, this one won’t hurt you either.
I highly recommend that people get educated properly on STI’s and the realities of them. Oh, and make sure you toss out the “Ewwwwww” comment to the next kid that has chicken pox that you see. ‘Cause hey, that kid has the Herp. (And to be honest, chicken pox and shingles have worse side effects for most people than cold sores and genital herpes. Don’t think so? Look into what they do to people.)
**Edited to add: Viruses never leave your body, so no matter which version you have had from cold sore to chicken pox and beyond, it stays in your body, attached to the nerve endings. Simplex 1 stays at the nerves at the base of the brain, 2, 3 & 4 stay at the base of the spine. This is why 1 can, in rare occasions, cause encephalitis.
It’s mindblowing how misinformed people are, isn’t it? I can’t wait for a vaccine against HSV2 (there’s one for shingles, so hopefully, it’ll happen soon), but at the same time, having herpes is far from being the end of the world!
All the stigma around STIs need to stop and the sooner it’ll happen, the better we’ll be at controlling them. Fear of being judged/rejected is one of the biggest reason why people don’t go get checked in the first place, so our attitude needs to stop. Yes, protection exists (but then again, protection won’t prevent an HSV infection) and should be used. But nobody is perfect, we all have accidents sometime (and/or get cheated on) and getting an STI is more a question of bad luck than anything else (and getting an STI doesn’t make you an idiot or a bad person) but we should still act responsibly. If you’ve had an unsafe sexual encounter, go get checked after 3 months if you don’t have symptoms. If you are in a committed relationship, get checked every year as part of your normal checkup, same if you practice safe-sex.
I’m lucky to live in a place with a single-payer healthcare system, universal drug insurances (either from your job or the government) and where drugs against common STIs are free if you are infected or been exposed because we aim to limit transmission as much as we can. I know not everyone has access to such great programs and it’s the reason why education and places like PP are so freackin’ important!
I’m Canadian, so the drugs to help all of these are cheap and/or free for us.
I have shingles but I am too young for the vaccine, unfortunately. I have had a few outbreaks and it sucks. Once I am old enough, bring on the needles. That is horrible.
I agree that the stigma is the biggest problem. First off, HSV 2 isn’t even close to being the nasty thing that everyone thinks but the reactions, even on here, are why people will not admit to having it if they know or just live life blindly, not wanting to know. Would you want to have to tell someone, hey, I have this but have only ever had one outbreak and all it was was a red itchy bump and have them say “Ewwwwwwwwwwww” and leave? Dear Christ people, Magic Johnson is still married to his wife after how many years after he was diagnosed with HIV???? You could end up tossing away someone over what, for most people, is literally nothing. Education, it’s a great thing.
@Argeppi
Just one quibble it cant be a scientific “fact” unless every single person in a population has been tested for herpes which is highly improbable
It is a scientific estimate that is based on actual data collected from those tested with reasonable scientific methods of projection for that particular pop. Also the rates differ by pop. The rates in Canada, UK , USA and Barbados for instance will all vary. there are places in the world where the herpes rate is fairly low (and yes they do test for it )
The stigma related to it is why I feel uneasy about suing people over not disclosing having an STI; as long as people’s 1st response is “Ewwwwwwww!!!!”, I can understand the numbing fear of being rejected/hated/judged for something on which you have very little control on. It’s not the ideal way to deal with your condition of course, but I get where it stems from, especially when you are in a state where the risks of transmission are extremely low (which apparently wasn’t the case for Usher since he seemed to have other active STIs). My dad died of AIDS, I’ve worked in a methadone clinic while doing my undergrads, worked on herpes in grad school, so all this is very close to my heart: I’ve seen way too many people living with fear and too many people with prejudices and I’ve often been on the receiving end of it simply for “daring” to talk/touch/hug/kiss marginalized individuals.
Herpesviruses are super weird, which is why I like them and studied them. Their capacity to stay latent and evade the immune system is pretty amazing. But yeah, having a flaring infection sucks
@eden
Fear of rejection, shame stigmatization are all valid feelings with which one can empathize however when one puts their feelings ahead of someone elses health and right to choose they are selfish and dishonest which is no basis for a relationship .
There are many people out there upon hearing about ones herpes diagnosis will be more than willing to be intimate with you and take the time to research how best to minimize their risk that is their CHOICE by not disclosing you are taking away someones freedom of choice and that is more of the “problem “than stigmatization
This a pet peeve of mine as I have a friend who got it from a man who when confronted was quite dismissive and said it was no big deal whats her problem well he is wealthier than her with better health care apparently he like many others has infrequent out breaks that are mildly uncomfortable however everybody’s system reacts differently apparently she had some auto immune disorder in the lupus family so an infection like herpes totally wipes her out , frequent out breaks that are severe and extensive , extremely painful and debilitating cant stand up, sit down go to work etc so these underlying its just a few outbreaks, occasional red bump , rash , everybody has it its no big deal messages in these comments are really rubbing me the wrong way
Look if you have it, you have it and you just have to learn to manage it and be forthright with your partners there is no shame in that similarly if you dont have it and will take precautions cuz you dont want it that does not make you a bad person either.
Further up in this thread I did say that a person should know the sexual health of their partners before climbing into bed with them. Having been through the fun roller coaster of a cheater who brought home something curable but nasty and then the roller coaster of having to be tested for AIDS myself, along with my infant daughter every 3 months for a year (back in the days before they really knew how long it took for it to show up, etc) I am a huge advocate of people having this knowledge.
Most doctors do not test for herpes unless requested, at least up here. The reason being is that herpes testing can be highly unreliable. Unless you are in the middle of an outbreak and have the blisters/sores swabbed, there is a high probability of coming back with a false positive. They do not use two step testing like they do for AIDS and such. The follow up test has to be requested by the patient.
As for scientific fact, 1 in 6 Americans between the ages of 19-49 are most likely infected and apparently the numbers are higher the older the people are. The WHO released an estimate in 2015 that 50% of the world’s population has it.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/herpes/en/
Yes, if you don’t inform people of an infection of any kind, you should get your ass handed to you, if you are even aware of the fact that you are infected. However, people need to stop with the Ewwww. This is why people will not disclose these things, if they even know.
And technically, again, most people have had one form of a herpes outbreak or another. Please see my previous post for the 8 different types listed. As for what any version of this virus can do to someone with a compromised immune system, ie: lupus, I can go and see my girlfriend with lupus as well. She is the proud owner of probably one of the worst cases of shingles ever. Which again, comes from the chicken pox strain of this virus. I suppose if she was going to be really cranky about it, she could blame her mother who put her in a room with a kid with chicken pox when she was a kid so that she too would get it but why? Her mom didn’t know that she had lupus then. Her outbreaks land her in the hospital for a few weeks at a time, every 6 months or so. So yes, anyone with a compromised immune system is going to get s**t kicked by ANY version of the herpes virus. It is tough and it hides well.
Thank you for your detailed & accurate information! People need to learn facts & let go of myths, stigmas, etc.
I wanted to add another post to clarify/add to my original one, but my sick & cranky toddler is on my lap & will not stop poking at my phone. You said it better than I could 😁
@Eden75 people are referencing green discharge not because they think it’s a symptom of herpes but because the first woman who has already settled with Usher said that her some point before one of their encounters he had green discharge coming out of his penis but assured her he was cleaned (the fact that she believed him, is a whole nother issue). So no green discharge is not a sign that someone has herpes but it is a sign that someone has something.
I got a thorough check up a few months ago and as scary as it is, I am so glad I know I am clean on that front!! And I have the results to prove it to my next partner 😀 As for the man that’s suing Usher, that doesn’t necessarily mean he is bisexual. Could be a partner of one of the women who got it??
The man said he had direct sexual contact with Usher. He is saying he got directly from Usher not from Usher via a woman or other third party.
Usher should be charged with a crime. It should be criminal to knowingly infect another person with an STD. Isn’t that a type of assault. The victim suffers a bodily injury that requires medical attention.
I have been lucky. I can’t say I did anything special to avoid it except to reject anyone without a condom and get tested regularly. Before my husband and I did the no condom we were tested. Still, with all of that, it could have happened. There needs to be a lot more awareness and education about this. I am a beginning Millenial but people still talked about AIDS in the 90s. There was a movement for a time when free condoms were everywhere, in clubs, bars, clinics, and people were even passing them out on college campuses. I am not sure this was the case in red states though. Everyone I knew carried some but I don’t think the awareness is the same now.
The cold sore virus, while usually just temporarily unattractive and a little bit painful, can cause encephalitis. Just mentioning that in the midst of the medical information we are discussing -don’t let people kiss a new baby!
I didn’t read all the comments but I do not share lipstick, drinks, chapstick, forks, or anything for these reasons. I also HATE that people insist on kissing my toddler on the freaking lips. I hate it. It’s family but still. Mouths are nasty, nasty things.
I am an American living in Canada and given I have thus far only dated American guys, I will say every man I have been with does not like to use condoms. I forced a lot of my exes to get tested prior to sleeping with them. I am on birth control so that also adds to the I don’t want to use a condom excuse. A lot of men I have been with find them uncomfortable. I am scared to have the awkward before we sleep together can you get std tested convo, but I know the next man I sleep with I am going to have to bring that up. And the monogamous discussion too. It is a scary world we live in now.
I have a friend up here whose family physician told her not to sleep with Americans on a cruise because he’s had many come to him afterwards with stds. I was stunned by that statement but given the comments above, it doesn’t sound too surprising either.
I didn’t automatically read the fact that he is being sued by another man as Usher being on the DL. I assumed that John Doe contracted it from Jane Doe and they are both blaming Usher cause he’s the one with the money.