R&B superstar Usher Raymond has filed a lawsuit against longtime collaborator Bryan-Michael Cox and other business associates, claiming they misused a $1.7 million loan intended for a Buckhead restaurant that never materialized.
In the Fulton County Superior Court complaint, Usher alleges he wired the full $1.7 million in January into a trust account held by attorney Alcide Honoré. He says the money was meant to help Cox, along with partners Keith Thomas and Charles Hughes, acquire a $6.3 million property on Piedmont Road for a new lounge and restaurant called “Homage ATL.”
Repayment Falls Short, Lawsuit Says
According to the suit, Cox’s team repaid $1 million later that summer, but Usher claims the remaining $700,000 was never returned. Usher’s lawyers say Honoré “all but admitted” the funds were spent elsewhere, quoting him as saying returning the balance “was not that easy” because the money had been “deployed for ‘other purposes.’”
The lawsuit includes seven counts — four against Honoré and three against Cox, Thomas, and Hughes — each seeking at least $700,000 in damages, plus interest, attorney fees, and punitive relief. In total, Usher is demanding $4.9 million, according to his filing.
Bryan-Michael Cox responded Monday via a statement, describing himself as a “passive minority shareholder” in the business venture. He added, “I was not a participant in the business transaction and have no involvement in the ongoing legal process.” Cox also noted his long friendship with Usher, saying, “my 27-year friendship with Usher remains fully intact.”
Meanwhile, Honoré told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he has not yet reviewed the complaint and believes it would be “premature for him to comment on specific claims.”
Efforts to reach Thomas and Hughes for comment were not successful.
Cox and Usher have worked closely for decades and co-wrote major hits including “Burn” and “U Got It Bad.” Their musical partnership is well known, which makes the legal dispute particularly striking.
Usher’s lawsuit frames the matter as a simple loan, not an investment. He declined to become a formal investor in the project, according to court papers, but offered financial backing through the trust account.
The case is now in Fulton County Superior Court. Usher’s legal team has paid attorney fees, and he is seeking both financial restitution and damages. No formal response has been filed publicly by the defendants as of now.
If the court sides with Usher, it could reshape how celebrity-partnered business ventures with friends or producers are structured.
Usher alleges he lent $1.7 million for a high-profile restaurant launch in Buckhead — and only got part of it back. Now he’s asking a court to recover the rest, plus damages, in a case that pits long-time musical collaborators against one another in an unexpected business showdown.