[symple_heading style=”” title=”By Ken Stone” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”20″ margin_bottom=”20″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]
A hoax-busting site says it can’t confirm that Usher has been sued for $20 million by an Atlanta woman — as numerous media outlets report.
Snopes.com said Tuesday that it can’t verify whether Usher “has ever been sued by women claiming he knowingly infected them with herpes.”
Radar Online was first to report — a week ago — that the musician and singer had paid $1.1 million to a woman who had sued him.
The story was cited in later reports by Fox News, the New York Daily News and People magazine, among others.
On July 21, TMZ followed with its own addition, claiming that Usher was being sued by a second woman alleging negligence, battery and emotional distress.
But Snopes researcher Dan MacGuill wrote: “We were also unable to find any civil lawsuit of this kind involving Usher, whose full legal name is Usher Raymond IV, despite a search of the Los Angeles Superior Court’s online database and despite consulting with court staff.”
MacGuill said he contacted Radar Online and asked for the case number of the lawsuit against Usher.
“We did not receive any response,” he said.
Despite the new doubts, Los Angeles attorney Lisa Bloom said Tuesday she’s reviewing cases on behalf of several women “who have reached out to me with claims against Usher, as well as against other major artists, for allegedly spreading STDs without disclosure.”
Bloom, the daughter of celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred, told MyNewsLA.com: “I like Snopes, and I am glad they are fact-checking.”
She stressed that she hasn’t filed a case against Usher.
“We do rigorous fact-checking for every potential client who comes to us, and we are in the midst of that review for several women who have contacted us now,” she said, noting that vetting claims take time.
“We expect to make another announcement soon,” Bloom said via email.