June 16, 2009. Usher Files for Divorce

By Josh D. Simon

30 year-old global R&B megastar Usher Raymond IV – better known simply as “Usher” – has filed for divorce from his 38 year-old wife Tameka Foster Raymond.

While news of Usher’s June 12 divorce petition may be sending shockwaves through his legions of fans, those familiar with the marriage aren’t surprised in the least. “"[Usher has] done his best to keep Tameka away," a source told PEOPLE magazine, confirming related accounts that they’ve been estranged for months. 

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However, what may get lost in the midst of the media swirl that engulfs celebrity divorces, is the impact the divorce process may have on the couple’s two children, 18-month old Usher Raymond V and 6-month old Naviyd. Indeed, while obviously too young to grasp the nuances and details of the impending divorce, there is evidence to suggest that infants do feel the stress and emotional toll of divorce indirectly through their parents.

Hopefully the damage will be minimal. Sources have told PEOPLE magazine that Ms. Raymond is focusing on keeping her family happy, and was recently spotted “happy and smiling” at the screening of Eddie Murphy’s new movie, Imagine That.  

Still, in the celebrity world where image, fiction, reality and gossip often collide and merge, it’s difficult to know whether such observed “happiness” is authentic, healthy and natural, or an artificial attempt to mask a distressing and traumatic situation. Let’s hope for the sake of the (soon to be ex-) couple and their children that it’s the former.