By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Part one of Tameka Raymond’s interview with Entertainment Tonight already has folks talking. In the candid interview series, Tameka Raymond finally tells her side of the story between what went down between her and Usher. From the marriage troubles, cheating accusations, and the nasty custody battle that eventually ensued; Tameka and Usher’s relationship definitely took a very drastic turn. But after Usher’s interview with Oprah, Tameka felt like she needed to give her side of the story.
Tameka’s interview with Entertainment Tonight is part of a three part series, and the first part of the series was broadcasted last night.
In the first part of the interview, Tameka explains why she believes Usher got wedding jitters and cancelled the first wedding, whether or not Usher really cheated on her with her bridesmaids, and what it feels like to constantly be labeled as nothing more than a gold digger. She even talks about the pain she felt after losing her son Kile Glover in a tragic jet ski accident.
There are a few highlights of the interview so far.
On how she feels about being called a gold digger, despite the fact that she had a rather successful career of her own before getting involved with Usher:
“You know, I think this is the typical stereotype. If a woman who has lesser means — even if she is successful and hard-working, does her thing in her own right — marries someone, what they call ‘marrying up,’ who has more money, they’re automatically a gold digger. … The woman is always the gold digger. … It’s kind of an insult to the men because it implies they’re not love-able.”
And she revealed that she is still in shock about the death of her son Kile:
“I think I’m still in shock,” Tameka says of the accident that took the life of her 11 year-old son Kile, who was struck in the head by a jet ski, and of her bitter [custody battle] with Usher. “I think this will probably be the greatest pain I will ever experience, losing him. But, it gave me strength beyond measure and it made me determined to fight for my other [children].”
She even revealed that despite Usher sleeping with her close friend and bridesmaid, she still emphasizes with her because she knows how charming Usher can be:
“He admitted to sleeping with one of the two. It was a very disappointing revelation. I had suspected it for some time,” she says, adding surprisingly, “I hate to say it, but I somewhat empathize with her. … She fell into somewhat of a trap.”
She even recalls the moment Usher cancelled their first wedding. She blames it all on jitters and the lack of support from his mom and fan base:
Here’s a clip:
Oh Tameka, please let it go. Now that you get to tell your side, it’s time to move on in your life.
I do agree that people were way too quick to call her a gold digger. Not every woman who married a man with money is a gold digger. That’s silly to assume.
I really feel like if Tameka had a man, she wouldn’t still be talking about this. You should never give an ex that much power of your life.
Pretty much. But at the end of the day, she deserves to tell her story too.
She should tell her side of the story…she’s a woman who have feelings and the right to express herself…this woman just lost a child…she don’t got to bash usher tho i can already tell he a jerk he seem arrogant and cocky like he just that fly…but i do agree Tameka needs to move on cause usher has