Usher and Beyoncé go way back, so far back that the R&B crooner is clarifying reports that he was once Bey’s “nanny.”
Source: Daniele Venturelli/ Kevin Mazur/ WireImage for Parkwood / Getty
The “nanny” claims surfaced after Usher was interviewed on the U.K.’s Capital Breakfast With Roman Kemp and said he knew Beyonce when she was 11 or 12 years old and chaperoned her when she was part of a pre-Destiny’s Child girl group.
“I kind of found my way into being their like, I don’t know, chaperone, nanny, or something like that, the oldest person in the room,”said Usher.
During his Jan. 31 appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, the 45-year-old singer reiterated that he was assigned to supervise Bey and the original members of Destiny’s Child before they became famous. When Sharpe asked the star if he was the Grammy Award-winning singer’s “nanny,” Usher jokingly responded:
“First of all, how can I be a nanny? I’d be a manny.”
Source: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage for Parkwood / Getty
The “Confessions” crooner — who is set to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Feb. 11 — clarified that he was assigned to look after a young Bey, Kelly Rowland, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson when they came to Atlanta for the first time. Back then, the quartet was known as The Dolls.
“I think I looked over them while they were doing something in the house,” the “Yeah!” hitmaker shared. “I had to watch ‘em ‘cause I was like the, you know, the authority ‘cause I guess I was the teenager at the time.“ Usher made sure the girls didn’t get into “trouble in the house.”
Usher Said There Was Something “Special” About Beyoncé & Destiny’s Child
Surprised by the anecdote, Sharpe asked the Atlanta-bred hitmaker if he knew Beyoncé was going to grow up to be an “international superstar” at the time. Usher gave props to all of the members of Destiny’s Child, calling them “special” and an “incredible unit.” However, the father of four admitted that there was something “different” about Beyoncé.
“Beyoncé had a talent, and also too, a brilliance and a brightness that was much different. It was actually Frank Gaston that helped me see it,” the veteran performer told Sharpe, referencing celebrity choreographer, Frank Gaston Jr.
“He always told me, ‘Man, she is really special. You gotta keep your eye on her’…and really great for my sister to see that she has done amazing.”
Usher Was Unbothered By The Criticism That Came After He Serenaded Keke Palmer & Other Famous Stars At His Residency
Later in the interview, Usher opened up about the cultural impact of his popular “My Way” residency in Las Vegas, which ended in December. Sharpe noted how the singer’s sultry serenade sessions with stars like Keke Palmer, Kimora Lee Simmons, and Taraji P. Henson became a topic of conversation and controversy for some.
In July 2023, netizens raised an eyebrow at the R&B hitmaker when Keke Palmer’s former boyfriend, Darius Jackson, hopped on X to call out the actress after she was captured on video being serenaded by the singer in a sexy sheer dress. Usher said he wasn’t bothered by the criticism. In fact, he was having “fun” throughout it all. The “Bad Girl” singer revealed that he was happy to see Keke “having fun with her girls” after welcoming her son in February.
“I mean she wanted to get out and have a good time. Should you not feel like you should get out with your girls and enjoy yourself?” the Grammy-winner said. “And then you have me, your usher. I’m ushering you to a good time.”
When Sharpe asked the “Love in this Club” artist if he received the “evil eye” from some of the men who brought their ladies to his residency, Usher revealed that all of the guys were “cool” in the audience.
“The girls, they get a little rowdy, but you know what I’m saying. Don’t leave your girl around me,” Usher jokingly added.
Watch Usher’s full interview with Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay below.