Usher continues to defend his mentee, Justin Bieber.
“The Voice” coach posted a photo of himself with a young Justin to his Instagram on Saturday, with a lengthy statement supporting the 20-year-old singer, as old footage of Justin telling racist jokes continues to leak.
“At my core, I am a person that supports growth and understands without judgment, that growth often comes as a result of pain and continues effort. As I have watched Justin Bieber navigate difficult waters as a young man, I can tell you that he hasn’t always chosen the path of his greatest potential, but he is unequivocally not a racist,” Usher wrote.
“What he was 5 years ago was a naive child who did not understand the negative power and degradation that comes from playing with racial slurs,” he continued. “What he is now is a young man faced with an opportunity to become his best self, an example to the millions of kids that follow him to not make the same mistakes.”
This is not the first time Usher (who famously signed a then-13-year-old Justin to his label) has spoken out in defense of the Canadian.
When asked about Justin’s racist remarks in an interview with Nylon Guys magazine, Usher said, “Do I turn my head in shame based off of what I see, what I know? Nah, I don’t because it’s all part of life’s process. Am I in it with him? Yeah.”
— Erin O’Sullivan
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.