Usher will perform in front of his biggest audience yet when he headlines the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show – and there will be four special people cheering him on, his children. z
The 45-year-old is a doting dad to sons Usher 'Cinco' Raymond V, 16, and Naviyd Ely, 15, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Tameka Foster, as well as daughter Sovereign Bo, three, and son Sire Castrello, two, with his longtime girlfriend, Jenn Goicoechea.
Usher loves being a dad but has admitted that sometimes his fame can make his children feel uncomfortable.
"My kids – sometimes, they don't want me to come. They don't want me to be at their basketball game or their recital, or they wanna be very, very low-key, 'cause they don't want that energy," he said on the Club Shay Shay podcast.
He added: "And it's hard because I try my hardest to have that empathy, but I wanna be there."
Meet Usher's four kids below…
Usher 'Cinco' Raymond V
Usher's eldest son and namesake was born on November 27, 2007, during his marriage to his first ex-wife, Tameka.
Ahead of his firstborn's arrival, he told People: "I just want my son to fully be coherent and to be healthy, first and foremost.
"You can wish for a million and one things. But I hope that my son has the same energy I had as a child. Hopefully, he won't be as bad as me. I hope that he's just a healthy son."
When Usher V was five years old, he almost drowned when his arm became caught in a pool drain while he was trying to retrieve a toy.
Thankfully, after spending time in the ICU, he was discharged, with his dad saying at the time that he was "doing very well".
When Usher V was six, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and his dad couldn't have been prouder as he spoke of how his son handled his condition.
"A child that every day has to prick himself and has to be cautious of what he eats and also to carry this disorder around — that really is the type of bravery that we all aspire to have," he said.
Usher V also prefers to be called by his nickname, Cinco, with his dad telling Tamron Hall in 2022: "I have one son, Cinco, who does not like to be called Usher, who tries to get away from it."
Naviyd Ely
On December 10, 2008, Usher and Tameka welcomed their second son, Naviyd Ely. Naviyd loves to watch his dad perform but he isn't afraid to critique him after his shows.
"He's like, 'You missed this thing, you didn't do this thing.' And I'm like, 'Yeah that's the point. It's not supposed to be the same every night,'" Usher told Tamron.
Usher also revealed that his secondborn "really loves entertainment", and according to his mom, he is quite the poet and won a poetry contest in March 2020 after reciting his poem "in an English cockney accent".
For his 13th birthday in 2021, Usher paid his son a sweet tribute on Instagram, writing: "NAVIYD!!! Turnin the Big 13!!!
"My Silent Partner, Creative Director, Always Full of Ideas… You're "The Good News" Wishing you the Happiest Birthday son!! Love DAD You are my favorite 13-year-old."
Sovereign Bo
Usher's only daughter, Sovereign Bo, was born September 24, 2020 – his first child with his girlfriend, Jenn.
Announcing her arrival alongside a cute photo of her tiny hand holding his finger, Usher penned: "We are feeling blessed and full of love with the arrival of our beautiful baby girl, Sovereign Bo Raymond."
He added: "'Isn't She lovely' by Stevie Wonder on repeat."
Sovereign was born earlier than her due date of November 11, and when that day rolled around, Usher shared another photo of his daughter.
Captioning the picture, he wrote: "Happy 11:11 Sovereign . . . today was the day I thought you would arrive. You had a different plan."
Explaining the meaning behind her name in a 2021 interview with Extra, he said: "Sovereign is such a beautiful word and name to me. 'A supreme ruler' is obviously the defined name.
Usher added. "She's definitely ruling the household, but Sovereign Bo . . . Bo is at the end of it, so, my little Reign-Bo."
Sovereign also made her acting debut in her dad's music video for his single, Ruin, which you can see below.
Both Usher and Jenn shared a sneak peek of the video and expressed their pride over her adorable appearance.
Sire Castrello
Usher and Jenn's youngest child, son Sire Castrello, was born on September 29, 2021.
Announcing his birth on Instagram alongside a black-and-white of Sire's nose and mouth, Usher penned: "Hi my name is Sire Castrello Raymond… I am the newest addition to the Raymond crew."
He added: "I was born Sept 29 2021 at 6:42pm weighing 7lbs 13oz. Hear me roar … A.K.A Ra Ra. Gang."
Speaking of the special bond he shares with the now two-year-old, Usher told People: "Me and him have a really cool relationship. He's different than any of my other kids.
"I've managed to have a little code going with him when I talk to him and how we speak to each other. He makes me mush ... My new little boy, he's something special."
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletterand get them delivered straight to your inbox.