The claims of all three plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging Usher is responsible for their herpes diagnoses will be heard in Los Angeles Superior Court, a judge ruled Friday in denying a defense motion to force one of the plaintiffs to bring her case in another state.
Judge Michelle Williams Court said that because the R&B singer has a residence in California, he is subject to having the woman's claims heard against him in this state.
Usher also has a home in Georgia. The residence of the plaintiff in the motion at issue, identified only as Jane Doe, was blacked out in the court papers of both parties after the judge granted a motion to seal that information to protect the plaintiff's identity.
In their motion, Usher's lawyers stated that all of the events as alleged by Jane Doe took place in the other state and that her part of the case should have been brought there. They argued the plaintiff's California claims should be dismissed.
"California has no interest in this dispute whatsoever," defense attorney Charlotte Wasserstein said.
But Jane Doe's lawyer, Jivaka Candappa, said that as a practical matter it made no sense to try the claims of two plaintiffs in California and the third in the other state.
He said that Jane Doe is willing to come to California to be deposed by Usher's lawyers and that the other witnesses also are willing to make the trip.
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In her ruling, Court said that although she was denying their motion Friday, the defense can move before trial to have Jane Doe's claims tried separately in Los Angeles from those of the other plaintiffs if they can show it would be prejudicial to Usher to do otherwise.
Jane Doe and the other two plaintiffs sued Usher, now 39, in August 2017, alleging the singer failed to disclose that he has genital herpes before having sex with them. Their complaint alleges sexual battery, fraud, negligence and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
One of the plaintiffs, Quantasia Sharpton, has agreed to have her name placed in the court papers. The other, a male, is identified only as John Doe.
Usher's real name is Usher Raymond IV.
