Usher Sues Longtime Producer Over Failed Atlanta Restaurant Deal

Man in a white suit smiling on a blue backdrop with a large letter V

Usher has filed a lawsuit against one of his longtime collaborators, producer Bryan-Michael Cox, along with several entertainment industry figures, over a loan tied to a restaurant project in Atlanta that never materialized. According to the lawsuit filed on Nov. 14, Cox (who helped craft some of Usher’s biggest hits, including “U Got It Bad” and “Burn”) approached the singer in 2024 about investing in a restaurant and lounge called Homage ATL. Entertainment lawyer Alcide Honoré and industry officials Keith Thomas and Charles Hughes are also named in the complaint.


Court documents reveal that while Usher declined to invest as a partner, he agreed to loan the group $1.7 million, wiring the funds in January with the expectation that they would secure a property for the venue. Months later, when no real estate had been purchased, Usher requested the money be returned. He received $1 million in August but has yet to recover the remaining $700,000. Usher claims Honoré told him repayment was “not that easy” because the funds had been used for “other purposes,” though no explanation has been provided for how the money was spent.


Usher is now seeking $4.9 million in damages, representing $700,000 for each claim listed in the filing. The legal dispute comes as the R&B icon continues to expand his ventures outside of music. In a recent conversation with TMZ, Usher hinted at plans for a clothing line and shared that he’d love to see Metallica take the stage at a future Super Bowl halftime show.



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