Usher clarifies claim that he was Beyoncé’s nanny

‘[It’s] really great for my sister, to see that she’s done so amazing and continue to thrive and just get bigger and better,’ Usher says

Usher has clarified whether or not he was actually Beyoncé’s babysitter before she became famous.

Prior to the R&B singer’s Super Bowl halftime show on 11 February, Usher spoke to Shannon Sharpe on her latest episode of Club Shay Shay, where he discussed his relationship with Beyoncé.

“First of all, how can I be a nanny? I’d be a manny,” he told the host before noting that he did have to supervise a tween Beyoncé and one of her former bands.

“[Producer and musician] Daryl Simmons, he had a group by the name of The Dolls, and they came to Atlanta for the first time,” Usher explained. “This is before Destiny’s Child became Destiny’s Child. I think I looked over them while they were doing something in the house.”

“I had to watch ‘em ‘cause I was like the, you know, the authority ‘cause I guess I was the teenager at the time,” he continued, adding he was “making certain that they didn’t, you know, get in no trouble in the house at the time”.

In a previous interview from last August, Usher revealed for the first time on UK radio show Capital Breakfast With Roman Kemp that he had chaperoned the “Love On Top” singer before they were teenagers.

“Fun fact, I knew Beyoncé when she was 12 years old, 11 years old,” he shared in the interview at the time. “She used to be in a group by the name of The Dolls. I don’t know if I could consider myself their babysitter, but I had a time where I had to watch The Dolls.”

Since their childhood, both singers have collaborated multiple times, as Queen Bey was featured in Usher’s song “Love In This Club (Remix)” and performed his song “Bad Girl” at one of his concerts in 2005. Meanwhile, Beyoncé had Usher star in her “Naughty Girl” music video as a dancer.

At another point in the interview, Usher was asked if he thought Beyoncé would become as big of a star as she is today when he first met her. The “Yeah” singer replied she “had a talent and also a brilliance and a brightness that was much different”.

“Destiny’s Child, they all thrive, even still to this day. When you see them and you see them together, they all thrive. They all are an incredible unit. Beyoncé had a talent and also a brilliance and a brightness that was very much different,” Usher added.

“[It’s] really great for my sister, to see that she’s done so amazing and continue to thrive and just get bigger and better. Whether it’s musically or in her life or creativity, all of it, man,” he continued.

Recently, the “My Boo” singer also spoke about what his goals are for his performance at the big game in his cover story with Vogue. “It has to be perfect,” he explained to the magazine. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I want people who have been a part of that journey to feel like it’s a celebration for everybody.”

Although the exact details of the show have remained under wraps, Usher hinted that audiences should expect to see roller skating, stellar choreography, major costume changes, and special guests among other things. He added: “This night was specifically curated in my mind to have R&B take the main stage.”