Anais Gutierrez
Usher is being sued by three people over an uninformed herpes infection. The lawsuits follow last month’s leaking of court documents of a similar lawsuit settlement.
In a not such lighter tone, the singer’s insurance company is reportedly stepping down and not representing him in the legal battle.
STD scandal, growing bigger
The R&B star Usher is being sued by three people who accuse him of not informing them about an alleged herpes infection before they had sexual contact.
Two of the accusers, one of whom has tested positive for herpes, remain anonymous as Jane and John Doe. The third accuser, Quantasia Sharpton, went public with her accusation at a news conference in New York.
“When I first heard he had herpes I couldn’t believe it … I would have never consented if I had known,” she said.
The accusers are being represented by Lisa Bloom, who filed the suits in Los Angeles. The suit contains charges of sexual battery, fraud, negligence, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
“We hope the reports are not true. We hope that Mr. Raymond [tests] negative [for herpes], and that this can all be cleared up quickly,” Bloom said.
“We hope that he has not knowingly endangered his sex partners. Fans who revered him and who were thrilled to receive his personal attention.”
The accusations follow court documents from 2012, leaked last month, that attest Usher, whose full name is Usher Raymond IV, was diagnosed with the virus in 2009 or 2010. He allegedly paid $1.1m in a settlement to a woman he infected.
It also said the eight-time Grammy winner was diagnosed with the virus in 2009 or 2010, around the time he divorced his first wife, Tameka Foster.
All the encounters in the new suit occurred after the settlement, Bloom said.
Usher hasn’t commented on the issue.
Not being rep
On top of that, the rapper’s insurance company, New York Marine, and General Insurance Company are reportedly ready to abandon the ship.
They’ve reportedly filed court documents in Los Angeles asking that a judge excuse them from the case.
The companies reportedly claim they’re not obligated to defend Usher in his current lawsuits or any others that may crop up in the future.
They also claim he hid a previous lawsuit related to the sexually transmitted infection. He’s thought to have settled in 2012 for $1.1 million.
The records indicate that Usher’s insurance company policy “does not provide coverage for an ‘insured’ who has intentionally concealed or misrepresented any material fact or circumstance,” according to the publication.
Also, the company’s hopeful they’ll be reimbursed for expenses related to the case.
Source: CBS
