Woman Who Claims Usher Failed to Tell Her of Alleged Herpes Diagnosis Steps Forward: 'He Never Warned Me'
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 — will file a lawsuit in California on Monday on behalf of the alleged victims, she stated in a press release.
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 spoke out at a press conference Monday morning prior to the suit being filed.
“I love Usher’s artistry and music. I went to a concert of his with some friends a few years ago, to celebrate my birthday. I was wearing a birthday crown, and because of that I was selected to go backstage before the show. Later a security guard picked me up and asked me for my number. He told me Usher had seen me backstage and was interested in me. After the show, my friends and I returned to the hotel. I got a call from Usher on a blocked number, asking me what hotel I was staying in and the room number. About an hour later, he arrived. We spoke for awhile, and then we engaged in sexual contact,” Quantasia Sharpton, with Bloom by her side, said Monday at the New York Hilton Midtown.
Sharpton, who appeared calm as she gave her statement, continued, “He never warned me about any STDs. It was just after my 19th birthday. I never heard from him again. When I first heard reports that he had herpes, I couldn’t believe it. I had a child a year ago, and I knew I was negative. But I contacted Lisa Bloom to find out what my rights are as a woman. Although I am negative, I am upset by the reports because I never would have consented, if I would have known. I would not have taken a risk of getting an incurable disease. My health is very important to me, now that I am a mother. I feel that my rights were violated. I am speaking out today on behalf of myself and others, some of whom are positive and are embarrassed to speak out publicly. I am doing this so that he does not do this to anyone else. Usher, if you are negative, please say so. If you are positive, you need to warn your sex partners, so that they can make their own informed decisions.”
Bloom then took to the podium. “The law requires people with herpes warn their sexual partners or abstain from sex. Those are the only two choices,” she said. “Mr. Raymond has not publicly denied the reports that he was diagnosed with the virus in approximately 2009. Nor has he denied the reports that he had unprotected sex with a woman after his diagnosis and transmitted the virus to her without warning her, paying her a $1.1 million settlement in compensation for her injuries in 2012 … No one from Mr. Raymond’s team has publicly denied the accuracy of those documents.”
“If Mr. Raymond is in fact a carrier of the virus, as these reports state, my three clients allege that he violated their rights by failing to warn them prior to having sexual contact with them. At least one of my clients has tested posted for the virus and alleges that it was Mr. Raymond who transmitted it. News reports can be wrong, and only medical tests can answer the question here. But if Mr. Raymond is negative, by allowing this story to go unrebutted for weeks on end, he has caused many people to be concerned about their reproductive health,” the attorney continued. “Mr. Raymond has not reached out to any of them, directly or indirectly. They are not able to contact him, as they say he always contacted them from a blocked number. In these circumstances, which are unusual, if Mr. Raymond is negative, we call upon him to either contact all of his intimate partners since his diagnosis and notify them, or to make a public statement, so that people’s minds can be put to rest.”
Added Bloom, “By filing this lawsuit, we seek to ascertain the truth. We hope the reports are not true. We hope that Mr. Raymond is negative, and this can all be cleared up quickly. We hope that he has not knowingly endangered his sex partners — fans who revered him and were thrilled to receive his personal attention.”
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.
The stylist accused the star — who married his current wife Grace Miguel in 2015 — of “consciously and purposefully” withholding his diagnosis from the woman and “continued to have unprotected sex” with her, according to papers obtained by Radar Online.
The woman was tested and diagnosed with herpes after suffering from vaginal sores, fevers and chills, according to the court papers.
California law states that it is illegal to knowingly or recklessly transmit an STD, and court papers showed the singer paid $2,754.40 of the victim’s medical bills in 2012. He eventually settled the case with the stylist on Dec. 28, 2012 for $1.1 million.
A representative for Usher didn’t return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
With reporting by LIAM BERRY
