Former ‘The Voice’ Coach Files $4.9 Million Lawsuit

A former coach on NBC’s The Voice was never reimbursed for a substantial loan amount that probably had him saying “OMG.”

Legendary singer Usher Raymond recently sued one of his longtime music producers and business partners, along with some other former associates, over a $1.7 million loan he gave them for a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia that never ended up opening.

He filed the lawsuit last Friday in Fulton County, according to WSB-TV.

The suit names Bryan-Michael Cox, Keith Thomas, Charles Hughes and entertainment lawyer Alcide Honoré as the group responsible. Cox is one of Usher’s biggest collaborators, having produced some of his biggest hits ever like “U Got It Bad” and “Burn.” The rest of the group also works in the entertainment industry.

Usher says the group approached him last year to open a restaurant in Buckhead, an upscale, uptown commercial district in Atlanta, Georgia. The restaurant and lounge would’ve been called Homage ATL, and the group was planning to purchase the former site of the now-shuttered restaurant Ocean Prime.

In the lawsuit, it says that Usher did not want to be an investor, but agreed to give the group $1.7 million anyway in January. The property went unpurchased, and Usher received $1 million of his money back in August, but is now suing the group for the remaining $700,000.

The lawsuit says Honoré told Usher that returning the money was “not that easy” as it had already been used for “other purposes.” Usher is requesting $4.9 million in damages, or $700,000 multiplied by seven, the number of claims in the suit.

In an Instagram post, Cox posted the following statement alongside a picture of him and Usher.

“I’ve learned a lot recently about being careful with who you choose to invest in a business with. No matter how small the investment….I’m currently in the middle of a failed deal that I didn’t orchestrate, and while the situation has been disappointing, I know my name will be cleared by both sides,” he wrote. “My legal team has also advised me of a lawsuit involving a company where I am only a passive minority shareholder. I was not a participant in that business transaction and have no involvement in the ongoing legal process. While I’m unable to share more details right now, I want to make one thing absolutely clear: my 27-year friendship with @usher remains fully intact. I appreciate everyone who has reached out with concern. Thank you for the love, the patience, and the understanding.”

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