News

Tameka Foster and her ex-husband, R&B artist Usher Raymond, have been divorced for nearly 12 years, and still she finds herself having to debunk rumors from their marriage.

While promoting her new book “Here I Stand” on the talk show “The Real,” Foster took the time to also clear up some things about her and Usher’s relationship. One of the things she discussed was rumors about her being the reason that Usher and TLC member Chilli broke up in 2003, and chatter about her being a gold digger.

Referring to the fans that spread the rumors, she said, “They had it all wrong. They just didn’t know who I was and they kind of didn’t give him enough credit to know that he didn’t marry that person, ya know.” Before Foster and Raymond began dating in 2005, Foster was a stylist that worked with artists like Jay-Z, Patti Labelle and more.

Throughout their relationship, Foster and Raymond received a lot of criticism and doubt from fans and from people in close circles. The “U Got It Bad” singer even told Oprah in 2012 that his own mother disapproved of the couple so much that she did not even attend their wedding ceremony. This was very difficult for him but what was difficult for Foster was realizing who a lot of the flak was coming from.

“Hardest part is that it was women that looked like me; it was women that looked like us,” she said referring to herself and “The Real” co-host Garcelle Beauvais. “The biggest critics and the people that were the most negative were either the bloggers or the people that were just like me.”

Foster said she believes those same people that look like her should have been supporters. “They should of been rooting me on,” she said, “and saying ‘okay she worked in fashion, she’s a mom, she’s a regular girl from Oakland, she’s from the town.’ They didn’t celebrate any of that.”

Usher filed for divorce from Foster in 2009 and cited irreconcilable differences.