When you think about Justin Bieber‘s ascent in the music industry, you can’t talk about it without talking about Usher Raymond, who served as Bieber’s mentor early on in his career and helped bring him into prominence.
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However, it seems like their working relationship and friendship may have reached a tipping point if recent reports about an alleged “heated exchange” are true. Let’s get into what we know. As you know, the 2026 Oscars took place on Sunday, March 15. As usual, Beyoncé and Jay-Z hosted their annual Gold Party afterwards, where attendees like Oscar winners Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler, as well as other famous faces like Teyana Taylor, Jermaine Dupri and Taylor Swift made appearances.
As TMZ reported, both Bieber and Raymond were there, but, unfortunately, the longtime friends allegedly didn’t have a friendly exchange. As noted by the outlet, sources associated with the “YUKON” singer said Raymond approached him with “energy and anger,” which led to a tense yet brief moment together. Thankfully, the ordeal was kept to words only, and no physical contact was made between the two.
But exactly how could these two former colleagues get to this point in the first place? It’s true that we haven’t really seen them hanging out together over the years, which could point to their relationship not being as close as it once was. There’s also the complicated fact that Raymond introduced the “SWAG” singer to Sean “Diddy” Combs when he was a teen, and the eventual alleged debaucherous deeds the Bad Boy mogul got in legal trouble for years later, which led to the distancing Bieber did in the aftermath. It also didn’t help that Bieber turned down popping out alongside the “Confessions” singer when he performed at the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
At the time, Raymond casually explained Bieber’s absence on the big day, noting to “The Breakfast Club” that the two of them were instead “going to do something else in the future” and that there was “no love lost.” However, judging by what may have taken place this year, that future collab may end up being a ways off now.
Reps for both Bieber and Raymond have yet to respond to this recent news. But we have to be real, if you’re waiting on Bieber’s camp to say something, you might be waiting for a while, as the “DAISIES” singer is gearing up to headline this year’s Coachella in April.
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