Usher has responded to the controversy surrounding the fan he kicked off stage and her reaction following an awkward encounter between the two during the July 25 concert of his and Chris Brown‘s R&B Tour.
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Before inviting the next fan to join him for his sensual performance of “Can U Handle It?” on Tuesday (July 28), Usher had a message for the Birmingham, Ala., audience at Protective Stadium, emphasizing a rule for the women coming on stage in the future.
“Now before we get started, don’t bring your a– up here if you don’t want to be here,” Usher said before referencing a comment made by the woman he previously removed from stage. “God don’t like ugly, but he most certainly don’t feel too good about pretty privilege either.” Brown was laughing when the Jumbotron panned to him.
This time around, the woman who Usher brought on stage to perform the Confessions track understood the assignment. A steamy scene ensued, with the racy footage of the fan grinding on the R&B legend displayed on the Jumbotron.
Saturday’s viral moment that kicked off Usher’s response saw a fan named Gabrielle Cheyenne brought on stage by R&B star, but she didn’t appear to be into the performance, which made for an uncomfortable exchange. The Grammy-winning artist felt that the vibe was off, so he paused the show and sent her back to her seat.
Cheyenne didn’t stay quiet following her onstage moment. She’s spoken out on several platforms, and Livebitez captured a video comment, which saw her claim that she only wanted to join Chris Brown on stage and not Usher.
“Yes I [went] on stage and no they don’t tell you who, what, when, where. Baby, I wasn’t going up there for Usher, I wanted CHRIS and CHRIS only,” she shared. “Anywayss, anybody who wasn’t sitting VIP or has a face card that doesn’t qualify should hush.”
In a post to Facebook captured by multiple outlets, Cheyenne referenced how “pretty privilege” got her upgraded to VIP at the show in the first place. “Their team approached us and moved us to VIP before the show even started,” she wrote. “PRETTY PRIVILEGES something you hoes will never know about.”
Usher and Chris Brown’s R&B Tour continues on Aug. 1 with a show in Syracuse, N.Y.
The post “Usher Claps Back After Fan He Kicked Off Stage Reacted to Criticism of Viral Moment” by Michael Saponara was published on 07/29/2026 by www.billboard.com