Usher Denies Photographer Abuse  2/28/06

R&B star Usher has denied a photographer's claims he abused her with foul language and rude gestures, after becoming upset by her photographs of him holidaying with his married stylist.

Sandra Rose incurred the Burn hit maker's wrath after her pictures of him at an idyllic spot in Caribbean hideaway St Barts sparked speculation he was conducting an illicit romance with Tameka Foster-Brown.

And she insists Usher used a recent Atlanta party to publicly display his disapproval.

Rose writes on her site, "Usher pushed my camera away as he walked by. There were no words exchanged between us and I thought that was the end of it. But he took me by surprise when he doubled back and thrust his finger in my face - his long manicured nail lightly grazing the tip of my nose.

"'Don't you dare!' he cried as 20 or so guests looked on in stunned silence.

'Don't I dare what?' I thought, as he glared at me with nostrils flaring.

"I totally ignored him as he proceeded to scream obscenities in my face. It was clear that Ush was attempting to draw me into a confrontation with him."

Usher's representative has denied the report, telling the New York Daily News, "This story is exaggerated. Usher simply asked the photographer not to take his photo.

"However, she made several attempts to bypass his security to snap his photo against his will. He never put his fingers in her face and was not in close contact with the photographer."