Usher Accuser Drops Her $20 Million Herpes Lawsuit
One of the herpes lawsuits against Usher has been dismissed. Laura Helm, who filed a $20 million lawsuit in which she claimed the singer gave her herpes, has withdrawn her case.
In July, Helm filed the complaint, originally under the name Jane Doe, alleging that she had unprotected sex with Usher and contracted the disease. However, during a recorded phone call two days before the lawsuit filed, she reportedly told someone that she only had protected sex with him.
Lisa West, Helm’s lawyer, quit representing her and a new attorney was hired. On Friday (Nov. 17), her new attorney filed court documents to dismiss the case. It has now been dismissed without prejudice “with intent to refile,” according to TMZ.
Usher’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, told People in a statement, “It’s our sincere hope that this dismissal will bring an end to the opportunistic litigation against Usher in Georgia."
In 2012, Usher reportedly settled a legal case against a woman who claimed to have contracted herpes from the singer. The R&B superstar paid $1.1 million to settle the lawsuit and paid $2,754 of the victim’s medical bills.
California law states that it is illegal to knowingly or recklessly transmit an STD. Usher was allegedly diagnosed with herpes around 2009 or 2010.