At the young age of 13, Usher entered the limelight, experiencing a glimpse into the lifestyle of a rapper while living away from his parents at Diddy’s New York residence.
Interestingly, Usher was relocated from his hometown in Dallas, Texas, to stay with Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs and who was nine years his senior.
Now 46, Usher has described his time there during his adolescence as ‘wild.’ During a discussion on the Baby, This is Keke Palmer podcast, fans speculated that his response to an ‘uncomfortable’ question was a reflection of those years.
Host Keke Palmer posed the question: “How old were you when you had your first kiss? And who was it?”
Usher responded: “How old was I when I had my first kiss? Erm, that I actually intended to have? You know, I had, you know… there was a couple of, you know…”
At that moment, Palmer seemed to recognize the potential discomfort Usher was experiencing and shifted the topic.
A fan took to Twitter to share the podcast snippet, commending the host and highlighting the challenges Usher faced in his youth.
They wrote: “This clip is….hm. Very sad and telling. But Keke is very sharp and social/emotionally intelligent. I see why she has gone so far in this industry. Very good interview.”
They later added: “I really hope Usher writes a book one day. His story is very fascinating. I know he doesn’t do many interviews but it was so interesting.”
The 34-second clip has amassed over five million views, eliciting numerous comments.
One person commented: “I love how she pivoted. With the way he answered, it’s possible that the question could have triggered him a bit or at the very least made him uncomfortable. It takes emotional intelligence to notice that and act on it.”
Another noted: “It’s honestly horrifying that as old as he is it is still very painful to recall those memories. Some things just never go away.”
Usher has also stated that he would not send his own children to live with Combs as he did at 13.
In a 2016 interview with Howard Stern, Usher was questioned about whether his parents were aware of his experiences. He admitted that his parents ‘didn’t know nothing about this s**t.’
Stern further inquired: “You’re a dad now, would you ever send your kid to Puffy Flava Camp?”
Usher, a father of four, responded, “Hell no.”
Although Usher described witnessing ‘very curious things’ during his stay, there is no implication that any inappropriate behavior occurred towards him due to Combs, who is currently in jail awaiting trial scheduled for May 5.
Combs was indicted by a grand jury following his arrest at the Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan in September.
He has been charged with racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, charges he denies. A 14-page federal indictment accuses him of organizing events referred to as ‘freak offs’.