The Tragic Death Of Usher's Stepson In 2012

As one of the biggest names in R&B in the 1990s and 2000s, Usher — full name Usher Terry Raymond IV — penned dozens of hit songs exploring the themes of love, sex, relationships, and betrayal. With his star rising, his relationship with TLC singer Chilli Thomas was well known, and fans even speculated that their relationship and break-up were the inspiration for Usher's multi-platinum-selling album, "Confessions", though Thomas dispelled those rumors in Atlanta Black Star. 

But by the mid-2000s, the singer seemed to be settling down, and he began a relationship with make-up artist Tameka Foster. Foster had three sons from a previous marriage, who became Usher's stepchildren upon his marriage to Foster in 2007, while Usher and Foster had two biological sons named Usher V and Naviyd. At the Kids Choice Awards in 2008, Usher and Foster arrived with several of the children they now shared, with the singer photographed on the red carpet smiling for the cameras while carrying his stepson, Kile (pictured above).

Sadly, the once happy family soon fell apart, with Usher filing for divorce in 2009 in what would prove to be an acrimonious legal battle. The R&B legend spoke openly in the press about the break-up, saying that while he had respect for Foster as the mother of his children they were unable to get along after the births of their sons due to numerous disagreements (via People). The former couple's feud became tabloid fodder, and to make matters worse, in the middle of it all was a heartbreaking tragedy when Usher's 11-year-old stepson, Kile Glover, lost his life in horrifying circumstances.

In July 2012, Tameka Foster took her family and several friends for a day trip to Lake Lanier, Atlanta, to swim and enjoy the water. Kile and a 15-year-old girl were riding an inner tube that was being pulled by a pontoon when they were unexpectedly hit by a jet ski ridden by a friend of the family named Jeffrey Hubbard. The girl suffered a broken arm and a cut to her head, while Kile, who was unconscious, was rushed to hospital and put on life support. He was declared brain-dead and died two weeks later, with Foster and Usher — who had been Kile's guardian since the child was 4 years old — devastated by their loss.

The year after Kile Glover's tragic death, Usher and Foster were in the news again after it emerged that the divorced couple were now locked in a bitter custody battle over their two biological children. Per The Daily Beast, Usher had received primary custody of his two sons through the courts the previous year, but Foster was now challenging that ruling after it emerged that their older son, Usher V, had almost drowned in the singer's pool after getting caught in the drainage system. A source close to the family told The Daily Beast that Foster, who was heartbroken by Kile's death, was terrified that she might lose another child.

After an investigation into the circumstances of Kile Glover's tragic death, Jeffrey Hubbard was charged in relation to the deadly incident and was put on trial in Atlanta. In February 2014 Hubbard was found guilty of homicide by vessel, as well as serious injury by vessel, reckless operation, unlawful operation of personal watercraft, and a boat traffic violation. He was sentenced to four years in prison. Despite her loss, Tameka Foster admitted that she knew the collision was an accident, and that she believed Hubbard loved Kile, per ajc.com.

In 2023, Tameka Foster launched a Change.org petition to demand that Laker Lanier, the body of water in which her son was killed, be drained, cleaned, and restored to improve public safety at the site. Foster argued in part that because the man-made lake was implemented over what used to be a city, remnants from the town below cause potentially "altered current patterns." She has also campaigned to tighten boating laws to prevent such tragic accidents and has founded a charity in her son's memory, the Kile's World Foundation.