Usher said on national television that Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts told him not to feed cherries to his wife during a concert, joking that he should "leave the cherries at home." The comment came during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where the singer discussed his habit of inviting audience members onstage and performing intimate, playful serenades.
Colbert asked whether any jealous partners had objected to Usher's stage routines, saying, "Have you ever heard from any angry husbands or boyfriends? Because you are not feeding my wife cherries." Usher replied, "There have been a couple of people who are very clear that they didn't want me to feed cherries. 'Mookie Betts of the L.A. Dodgers, he said like, 'No serenade. Leave the cherries at home. No cherries.'"
Usher described the cherry routine as part of a broader strategy to create a fun, flirtatious concert atmosphere. He told Colbert that "the whole idea of cherries is just giving women the freedom to have fun at a concert." In an earlier interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Usher said the bit evolved after trying different fruit props, starting with strawberries in Las Vegas and eventually settling on cherries because they were "fun and just kind of active. It was a bit erotic."
Betts and his wife, Brianna Hammonds, have kept a relatively private family life. The couple, who began dating in middle school and married in 2021, have two children: daughter Kynlee, born in 2018, and son Kaj, born in April 2023. Betts is a second baseman for the Dodgers and has earned multiple league honors during his career, including eight All-Star selections, six Gold Glove Awards and three World Series championships.
Colbert added a quip about Betts' warning, saying, "That's a man that uses a bat professionally. I would listen," and the exchange otherwise remained lighthearted. Usher's stage interactions have become a notable feature of his live shows, where he frequently invites fans to participate in choreographed moments that emphasize romance and audience engagement.
The remarks drew attention because they involved two high-profile entertainers and highlighted how performers and public figures navigate playful onstage interactions with fans and the boundaries set by partners. Neither Usher nor Betts have suggested any real dispute; the comment was presented as a cordial request from a spouse and relayed as an amusing anecdote during a late-night interview.
Both Usher and Betts continue their respective public schedules: Usher on tour and performing television appearances, and Betts playing regular-season baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers when the MLB schedule is active.