Usher’s accusers took a new step in court on Tuesday, Sept. 19, by filing a motion that aims to force the singer to undergo STD testing.
In court documents obtained by PopCulture.com (which can be viewed here), the plaintiffs – Quantasia Sharpton, John Doe and Jane Doe – request that Usher submit to a blood test to determine if he has herpes and could have exposed them to the virus. The latest motion is part of a joint lawsuit, which the three plaintiffs filed in August.
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The trio are being represented by Lisa Bloom, esq. and her team at high-profile The Bloom Firm. Bloom has been tabbed as Hollywood’s top Power Lawyer, known for litigating celebrity cases that range from defending Janice Dickinson against Bill Cosby to executing the media and legal strategy that brought down serial sexual harasser Bill O’Reilly. She recently defended Blac Chyna after Rob Kardashian posted revenge porn of the reality TV personality.
According to the documents, Usher’s team has refused multiple requests to submit proof that he does not have the virus or to admit that he does. The documents state that Bloom’s team is pursuing an independent medical examination “to bring peace of mind to those with whom he has had sexual contact and to allow them to avoid the costs associated with their own medical testing.”
Usher has adamantly denied the accusations, with a previous court document stating “any alleged conduct by Defendant, which is expressly denied, was unintentional.”
However, this is not the first time he has been to court over herpes-related accusations. In 2012, Usher reportedly paid a woman a $1.1 million settlement after facing a lawsuit that claimed she had contracted herpes from him.
After details from that lawsuit went public and it became known that Usher may have exposed his sexual partners to the virus, more women stepped forward to take legal action.
Sharpton said at a press conference that she did not contract the STD after an alleged tryst with the singer on her 19th birthday, but joined the lawsuit because she felt her “rights were violated.”
A letter from the plaintiffs’ legal team included in the court documents urged Usher to voluntarily submit to testing.
“Many men and women have contacted our firm over the last 24 hours,” the counsel wrote. “Many, having had sex with Mr. Raymond, simply want to know whether they should get tested. As a matter of simple compassion, I would think your client would want to release proof that he has or has not been diagnosed with herpes.”
Since he did not offer test results, Bloom has moved forward with the motion to compel an independent medical examination.
The motion will be heard in a California superior court on Oct. 18.
Photo Credit: Getty / Raymond Hall
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