Usher’s signature stage move nearly caused a medical emergency during his recent show in London, when he unknowingly offered cherries to a fan who turned out to be allergic.
The R&B star has made a habit of feeding fruit to audience members during his concerts, a quirky tradition that began with strawberries during his Las Vegas residency and evolved into cherries.
“It started with strawberries in Vegas,” Usher said earlier this year on The Jennifer Hudson Show.
“So, you know, I just figured we try all the fruits until we figured out which one works the best.
“But cherries were something that I felt was fun and just kind of active. It was a bit erotic.”
See also: Read The Standard’s exclusive interview with Usher
But the playful gesture took a turn last week when a woman in the crowd of one of his Past, Present and Future tour dates at London’s O2 arena declined his offer of the fruit.
In a now-viral video, Usher is left puzzled by the refusal, until she explained that she was allergic.
Realising the seriousness of the situation, he quickly backed off, saying, “Oh s**t, you’re allergic to cherries, damn!
“Anybody got an epipen in this b***h?” He then hugged her, apologised, and moved on, telling the crowd, “We almost had an emergency in here.”
It’s not the first time Usher has gone viral for his cherry stunt in London.
Last month, Jimalita Tillman, a Chicago arts leader and retired homeschool mum, went viral after being serenaded by the R&B superstar during one of his sold-out gigs at London’s O2 Arena.
The clip, which shows her passionately reacting to Usher's performance of There Goes My Baby, has racked up millions of views on TikTok and sparked rumours that the steamy encounter had ended her marriage.
@milliesmith110 Made me chuckle #usher #ushercherrygirls #usherconcert
♬ original sound - Millie
But Tillman has said that the internet has it all wrong.
“I am single,” she told Chicago station WGN9.
“That is completely false. I am a retired homeschool mom looking to expand the arts here and across the pond. I am single. You got a cherry, give me a jingle.”
During the performance, Usher handed out cherries to female fans, including Tillman, while keeping intense eye contact and drawing her closer from the crowd of 20,000.
