Usher Recalls Chilli Turning Down Marriage Proposal

BYGabriel Bras NevaresPublished on February 15, 20241240 Views

Akil Rucker's Birthday Party - September 17, 2003

Chilli and Usher (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)

The TLC singer had split with the R&B artist after three years of dating, which apparently made him distrusting of women for a bit.

Usher has a lot to celebrate these days: a new album, a Super Bowl halftime show, a new wife, and so much more. He recently spoke to PEOPLE for a cover story to unpack much of this, and also to look back on his legendary career and notable life trajectory leading up to this point. Moreover, the Dallas native might be in a pretty great place right now, but it wasn't always like this, especially back when he was young and in love. During this interview, he reflected on his three-year-long relationship with TLC's Chilli, who broke his heart when she rejected his marriage proposal.

"I was a young man, and she had very specific rules that didn’t work for me,” Usher told the publication. “I wanted to marry her, I proposed and she said to me, 'No,' I went through a great deal of pain after that. Not trusting women or wanting to open up. I hurt her too, but the situation broke my heart." Given that even his ex-wife Tameka Foster went to the Super Bowl to support her former flame, we can at least assume that he can still keep up amicable and healthy relationships with his exes despite their history.

Usher Reflects On Marriage Plans Getting Rejected By Chilli

Meanwhile, all this hype and excitement is also manifesting itself in more formal ways for the 45-year-old. For example, upon his return to Atlanta, he got the city's Phoenix Award for his service to it, got a spot of the Black Entertainment and Music Walk of Fame, and Fulton County recognized February 14 as "Usher Day." "Atlanta is a city of belief," he remarked during the award ceremony. "Atlanta is a city that allowed me to be that Phoenix to rise. It is a city that has allowed me to have the tenacity to go out and share this culture that I found when I was here."

Apparently, that's not it for the multi-hyphenate artist. With a TV series based on his music reportedly on the way, we can only expect him to get bigger and bigger. What's been your favorite part of this recent renaissance? Let us know in the comments and check back in with HNHH for the latest news and updates on Usher.

About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.