Judge denies Usher's ex-wife custody of sons after accident
Updated: 2013-08-12 09:36
(Agencies)
|
|||||||||
R&B singer Usher waits as he speaks with a member of his legal staff before a custody hearing at Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia August 9, 2013. Tameka Foster, ex-wife of Usher is seeking custody of their two young sons after one of them was hospitalized in Atlanta following a swimming pool accident this week.[Photo/Agencies] |
Fulton County Superior Court Judge John J. Goger dismissed the motion for primary custody filed on Tuesday by Tameka Foster, saying that there was no reason for the singer to relinquish primary custody because of one accident.
Usher, 34, has custody of 5-year-old Usher Raymond V and his younger brother Naviyd, 4.
The Grammy winner and coach on NBC's TV singing contest "The Voice" won custody of the boys last year. He was married to Foster, 42, from 2007 to 2009.
In her court filing, Foster had alleged that Usher failed to personally exercise physical custody of the children by using caregivers and also traveled excessively, which took away from his parenting time.
The singer, whose full name is Usher Raymond IV, was not at his Atlanta area home on Monday when Usher Raymond V's arm got caught in a swimming pool drain when he tried to retrieve a toy.
The boys' aunt, Rena Oden, and two other women tried to pull the child free but could not. Contractors installing audio-visual equipment at the house jumped into the pool, rescued him and administered CPR.
"What happened here was an awful accident," Goger said when explaining his decision. "Based on the evidence here, I'm not certain that one person could have done any better than Ms. Oden. Ms. Oden did impress me."
Usher, Foster and Oden all testified at the hearing.
The boy is recovering in an Atlanta hospital and is expected to be released on Sunday, Usher's attorney said.
Last year Foster's older child and Usher's stepson, 11-year-old Kile Glover, died after suffering a brain injury during a jet-ski accident.
Related:
Singer Usher's ex-wife seeks custody of sons after accident
Justin Bieber, Usher targeted in copyright infringement lawsuit
- 'Despicable' minions upset Depp's 'Lone Ranger' at box office
- 'Taken 2' grabs movie box office crown
- Rihanna's 'Diamonds' tops UK pop chart
- Fans get look at vintage Rolling Stones
- Celebrities attend Power of Women event
- Ang Lee breaks 'every rule' to make unlikely new Life of Pi film
- Rihanna almost thrown out of nightclub
- 'Dark Knight' wins weekend box office
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
New lease on life for tulou |
Couples tie knot across Straits |
Getting freight traffic back on the rails |
Magnetic attraction |
County linked with outside world |
Urban push |
Today's Top News
Chinese take a shine to fine china from UK
New green policy gives industries a big boost
Snowden's father to leave for Russia
Northeast China braces for major floods
Launches highlight India's ambitions
Chinese put on alert in Afghanistan
Questioning China's achievements
Go-between helped to cement deal
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |