Usher is laughing off viral rumors that he hired a lookalike to perform in his place during his ongoing R&B Tour with Chris Brown.
The speculation exploded on social media after footage from Usher’s Aug. 7 performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium spread online, with some fans claiming the singer looked noticeably different.
Usher addressed the issue on Instagram on Aug. 9, posting, “Ya’ll are funny…clone? They can’t clone this??” he wrote, later adding, “AI ain’t that advanced.”
The 47-year-old singer continues touring with Brown through December, with performances scheduled across North America.
Usher at Home
Long before Usher cemented his status as an Atlanta icon with the 2004 hit “Yeah,” he had already set his sights on owning a home in the city’s suburbs.
At 13, the singer toured a mansion in Alpharetta, Georgia, owned by music producer L.A. Reid. Years later, he bought the same house, one of several notable properties he has owned during his career.
Usher, whose full name is Usher Raymond IV, recalled the experience during a 2003 episode of BET’s “How I’m Living.”
“I came into this house, and I remember walking through it just being mesmerized by everything I saw,” he said. “One day, I want to own a house like this.”
He eventually did.
Alpharetta, Georgia, mansion
By 1999, Usher had released the platinum single “You Make Me Wanna,” joined the cast of UPN’s Moesha and completed his first film, “The Faculty.” That year, at 21, he paid $1.2 million for Reid’s former home.
“There’s history in it,” Usher said on “How I’m Living.” “My history lies in this house.”
The 10,823-square-foot mansion featured a grand foyer with black marble columns, a second-floor hallway overlooking the living room, a black marble fireplace surrounded by mahogany bookcases and a primary bedroom with a black-and-gold poster bed.
Usher later modernized parts of the home, replacing wrought-iron railings with gray ones, swapping built-in shelving for floating shelves and adding a dance studio with floor-to-ceiling mirrors. After nearly two decades of ownership, he sold the property for $1.5 million in 2018.
Atlanta home near Mercedes-Benz Stadium
In 2007, Usher bought another Atlanta property, paying $970,000 for a three-bedroom, three-bathroom home near Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The 2,908-square-foot residence featured a rooftop deck and an open-concept layout. Black walls and cabinetry contrasted with light hardwood floors and large windows. The kitchen included a black-and-white marble island.
Usher sold the home for $775,000 in 2019.
Spanish-style home in West Hollywood
In 2015, Usher paid $3.3 million for a Spanish-style home in West Hollywood, California, above the Sunset Strip. Built in the 1920s, the three-story, 4,261-square-foot residence had five bedrooms and four full and two half bathrooms.
The home featured black walls, contemporary artwork, a grand staircase, a home theater with velvet curtains, a primary suite with a private terrace and two-person soaking tub, and a family room opening onto a deck overlooking the pool.
In 2018, burglars stole $20,000 in cash and jewelry and watches from the home, including a watch reportedly valued at $220,000. Usher and Grace Miguel, whom he married in 2015, had listed the property for $4.2 million at the time. The couple split later that year and sold the home for $3.3 million.
