While many of Chris Brown’s friends are tentatively offering him words of support, R&B star Usher expressed his disappointment with singer Chris Brown’s “lack of remorse” in the days following his arrest for domestic violence against girlfriend Rihanna. A video of Usher calling out Brown for being photographed jet-skiing in Miami surfaced on the internet yesterday.
Usher doesn’t approve of Chris Brown’s jet-skiing.
In a video posted by producer Jermaine Dupri, the “Yeah!” singer slams his fellow R&B star for being photographed last weekend joyriding around Diddy’s Miami Beach mansion in what was his first public outing since the incident with Rihanna.
“I’m a little disappointed in this photo,” Usher said Monday on Dupri’s online Living the Life series. “After the other photo [of Rihanna’s brutalized face]? C’mon, Chris. Have a little bit of remorse, man. The man’s on Jet Skis? Like, just relaxing in Miami?”
Brown and Rihanna spent the weekend in Florida apparently working toward a reconciliation. They returned to Los Angeles on Monday in anticipation of the “Gimme That” performer’s tentatively scheduled arraignment on Thursday. Prosecutors are awaiting evidence from the LAPD before deciding to file charges.
Usher and Dupri are currently holed up in a recording studio working on Usher’s new album. The duo is mostly seen on the eight-minute clip (unspooling at MTV.com) joking around with friends. But the comments took a decidedly serious turn when the topic of Brown and Rihanna came up.
Just hours after that video was posted, Usher’s PR Rep issued an apology on behalf of the singer, saying that it was wrong for him to “pass judgment” on Brown.
Usher issued a statement late Tuesday (March 3) apologizing for the comments he made toward Chris Brown, which appeared in a video posted by Jermaine Dupri.
“The comments made during a recent recording session amongst friends were taken out of context and blown out of proportion,” the statement reads. “I apologize on behalf of myself and my friends if anyone was offended. The intentions were not to pass judgment and we meant no harm. I respect and wish the best for all parties involved.”
Personally, I think Usher has nothing to apologize for. While other stars such as Terrence Howard and Kanye West are calling for people to give Chris Brown a break- saying that he’s young and made a mistake – I have to give Usher props for taking a stand on this. Frankly, I’ve been more than a little shocked at the amount of support Chris Brown has been able to muster – from celebs and from everyday people. When this story first broke, I was disgusted by the number of times I heard comments like “What did she do to make him so angry?” Now that Rihanna has reportedly forgiven and reconciled with her abuser, and rumors are surfacing that Brown may not face criminal charges, this story is getting more frustrating.
the response from celebrities has been so overwhelmingly shocking and sickening. To see so many come up with bullsh*t like ‘i wont pass judgement’, ‘everybody makes mistakes’ ‘hes young’ ‘hes still my homeboy’ (yeah, good on you t.i.)
A mistake is not paying your parking ticket. A youthful act of stupidity might be drunkenly making out with someone who isnt your girlfriend. It doesnt, and will never include beating the shi*t out of a woman. This is a serious and horrific issue for millions of women around the world, yet people like kanye west and usher are trying to play both sides of the field, “expressing sadness” for rihanna, but not holding chris accountable just in case they need him for their next vocoder-ed irrelevant single.
pathetic.
It’s Chris who should make an apology not Usher. It’s good to hear this is what User said when with his friends.
I’m actually quite surprised we don’t have a single quote from anyone famous standing straight and saying how wrong DV is. Seems like the only one truly on record is Reese Witherspoon
I think a PSA from someone should be on the airwaves already. Throwing out suggestions I think Latifah, Russell Simmons, 50, Denzel, JT, hell Tina Turner. Somebody needs to step up. Young girls need to hear from the community that it is not o.k. to be treated that way and they are worth more.
Tell your children!
What about Usher wife sneaking off to Brazil to have cosmetic surgery and almost dying leaving small kids. That’s sick-why didn’t she feel good enough? So many women die behind useless cosmetic surgery. Usher should worry about his own house. I think he is glad the focus is off his family and on someone else.
jay Usher stepped up and married the girl he knocked up. Not beat her.
What? Usher’s not allowed an opinion? People are ok with stars stepping in and get these “two lovebirds” back together, but they aren’t allowed to dislike the situation? What. Evs.
I guess it’s okay for Chris Brown to beat Rihanna, but it’s not okay for Usher to speak his mind. Chris Brown is the one who needs to be apologizing, and for that matter, Rihanna needs to run as far away from that man as possible, sadly, she has not and he will beat her again. What is wrong with the men in the music community asking us to give Chris Brown a break? What if this was their sister? The only thing they’d break would be Chris’s neck.
I think Usher’s remarks were sincere, and the retraction probably had something to do with the possible legal proceedings. We’ve all seen the pics of Rihanna, and there seems to be enough evidence against him, but Chris Brown is STILL innocent until proven guilty. The remarks of those celebs who have voiced support for him have the potential to sway a jury, thus depriving him of his right to a fair trial.
This WHOLE THING makes me SICK.
1. Chris Brown? Should be tarred and feathered, verbally, by the public, other celebrities, battered women’s shelters and organizations fighting domestic abuse. The only apologies needed here are HIS.
2. Rihanna is in a very sick and sad place to go back to her abuser and I just hope she wakes up and gets the hell away from him, fast.
3. The only way he’s going to learn the lesson he apparently didn’t learn growing up (don’t hit people) is if there are serious consequences for it. There hasn’t been. I say boycott everything he tries to do with his career until he gets it.
4. These other celebrities are wimpy punks for not being willing to call this for what it is: domestic abuse.
And yes, there needs to be a PSA or something. Think about young women out there thinking “well even RIHANNA with all her success and money and fame went back to him, she must really love him, how could I leave my guy?”
Stupid backwards thinking, but you know it happens. Sorry Rihanna, but you are a public figure and you just set a very bad example for loads of women out there.
Good for Usher.
We know Rihanna didn’t go back out of love. She went back because of alienation. Which she mistakes for love. Poor woman.
I hope there’s a prosecution all right.
Anastasia, Rihanna isn’t setting an example at all, she’s following a trend. Sadly, most victims DO stay with their abusers, and those who don’t often had to try to leave multiple times before succeeding. And a lot of these celebs won’t talk because Chris Brown is STILL their friend. When you love someone, you don’t want to believe that they’re capable of something like this. It’s no excuse, of course, and they still need to get their heads out of their asses, but their reluctance is understandable.
I agree that is it sick to see how much support Chris Brown is getting.
Terrance Howard is a pr*ck. Love him as an actor, but as a person he is a pr*ck. He was on a tv show saying how wonderful his wife is and how she stood by him through the tough years right after Crash. Then he turns around and leaves her when things get good for him. Jerk. Not a far stretch for him to support Chris Brown.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)
Most people don’t want to take sides because 90% of the time the victim goes back and then she is mad at you for criticizing her man. I speak from experience with my cousin.
Terrance Howard has an abusive history himself towards his ex wife, so of course he stood up for a fellow abuser. What do you except from a hip hop culture that glorifies violence, prostitution and mistreatment of women, all of the rappers are a bunch of thugs and wannabe thugs.
I would have had a much more positive opinion of Usher if he stood up for what he really though about this situation and not apologist at all.
It does not matter if the people in the music industry don’t approve behind close doors of what Chris Brown did, unless they speak up and flat out express their disgust, they are setting the wrong message to their fans.
sending not setting.
Sh*t happens! She’s taken him back and he probably feels like since she’s forgiven him it’s no one else’s business.
Mandy, because she’s a public figure, she very much IS setting an example! Some anonymous woman out there who goes back to her abuser is setting an example, too: to her kids.
Anytime you have anyone watching what you are doing and potentially taking notes on it, you are acting as an example for others. The only case in which you wouldn’t be is if you don’t have any kids and you aren’t a public figure. Then no one’s taking your behavior as an example. It’s still not right to go back to an abusive relationship, but at least no one’s looking to you for something to model themselves on. But when you are a parent and/or a public figure, you better BET you are setting an example!! I work with teenagers and I hear teenage girls say ALL the time “well he can’t be THAT bad if she went back to him.”
Wanna bet?
Dr phil was on The View this am and he said that it is never ok to hit and She should not go back.
Hey, Usher just said what the rest of us are thinking.
Brown’s never really looked that ruffled by the whole incident – it’s as if he always knew he didn’t have any cause to worry about the outcome, at least not where Rihanna was concerned.
Everything that came out of his and his camp’s mouths has been to the effect of: it’s not that bad, it’s just a mistake. Not, hey I did someone I loved a grave wrong and I need to correct it by taking the consequences. Nope.
There’s been no owning of his doing anything wrong in the whole circus around this – so hell, why shouldn’t he look like he’s having to a good time? He only busted somebody’s face. And she doesn’t seem to care, so it’s obviously her fault and not his.
And so on…
Pretty much the only one to stand up has been John Legend, if I’m not mistaken.
All this has done is prove how messed up that music scene is – I don’t think I want to support most of the artists in it. Lame and disappointing. And disappointing some more.
Anastasia, I totally agree with you, but I’m terrible at phrasing sometimes. I was stressing the statistics rather than individual victims, and I think both perspectives are necessary.
It’s not Rihanna’s job to be an ‘example’ or role model for anyone; She’s very young and has quite enough on her plate right now.
I totally agree that the music industry/hollywood has been absolutely detestable with the “give Chris a break” bullshit. Is Brown really that important to the industry?
He shouldn’t apologize for the comments about Rihanna and Chris Brown. Chris was wrong but I’ll leave it at that. If Rihanna can’t fight her own battles I see no reason for me to get worked up about a chick who won’t do what’s right for her own benefit.
What Usher should apologize for is talking bad about Christina Millian hair when his wife looks like a man and an old ugly man at that.
problem is, being a role model *is* her job. if you don’t want to be looked up to, don’t try to be a star.
John Legend is the only man who has sounded like a true gentleman. I can’t believe Usher retracted his statement. Where is the outrage towards this ahole CB? Hopefully JZ and Timbaland are working behind the scenes to completely eff over his career. What a scumbag.