No, Usher Did Not Pay Strippers With “Usher Bucks”
![](https://static.stereogum.com/uploads/2021/04/usher-paras-griffin-getty-1618271257.jpg)
Paras Griffin / Getty Images
Today, the internet was furious with Usher for seemingly going to a strip club and tipping dancers with fake money emblazoned not with the faces of historical American leaders but, instead, his own. It all started with a viral Instagram story from @beelOove, a dancer who insinuated Usher only tipped with these fake “Usher Bucks” and called for him to be “blasted” on social media over it. That’s exactly what happened, with the online powers that be calling for Usher to be cancelled.
Now, thanks to TMZ, there’s more to the story. TMZ claims to have talked to two different sources, one of which was a representative of Sapphire, the Vegas club where this all happened. The rep says Usher indeed left real money, and was actually quite generous with it. Otherwise “sources close” to Usher say that the fake Usher dollars were actually left by someone in his crew as a joke and/or an attempt at promoting his Vegas residency.
So, there you have it. The controversy has been cleared up and you can stop trying to cancel Usher, who in fact uses authentic, legal American money when he goes to strip clubs.
https://twitter.com/birdsofpreys/status/1381642529683218433?s=21