Usher
"Resigned" His Mother 12/5/07
R&B hunk Usher "resigned" his mother as his manager - so
she could dedicate her time to becoming a wife and grandmother to his baby
boy.
Reports suggested the Yeah! hit maker severed business links with his
mother when she made it clear she didn't approve of his wife-to-be Tameka
Foster.
But Usher insists he had very positive reasons for letting his mother,
Jonetta Patton, go.
He tells Essence magazine, "It kills me when I read what my fans
think about my relationship (with my mother) because it's so wrong.
"I didn't fire my mother. I resigned her. Her jersey hangs
forever. I could have a million managers. I will only have one mother.
"Our professional relationship has been very rewarding, but our
exchanges can be very hard and difficult. There are times when I don't
need to sit and have a business conversation and have us end up bickering
and fighting.
"She has lost years and time. She has a fiancé now. I just want
my mother to enjoy her life without having to keep a day-to-day eye on my
career. I want her to be grandmama to my baby."
And Usher dismisses reports that he's estranged from his mum: "I'm
going to need my mother to be there for me, to help me be strong."