Usher update: Woman claims she lost twin babies after singer gave her herpes; experts explain how the virus affects infants

Three people so far filed civil lawsuits against Usher, claiming the R&B singer exposed them to the herpes virus without informing them. One of the plaintiffs said that her twin babies were stillborn after she had a sexual encounter with Usher and developed the virus.

New York Daily News reports that plaintiff, under the name of “Jane Doe,” filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against Usher. She’s suing for an alleged $20 million after she claims her twin infants were born deceased after she contracted the herpes virus from the singer. The plaintiff said she had sex with Usher two times and each time, he never divulged information about his herpes diagnosis.

According to the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA), women with genital herpes run the risk of delivering a baby who contracts the illness while being delivered through the birth canal. In turn, infants who develop the virus are at risk of damage to the central nervous system, cognitive issues, or even death.

Infants can also develop neonatal herpes while in utero. The plaintiff in the case claimed that her babies acquired the virus while she was still pregnant, but she was unaware that she had herpes. The risk for infants developing neonatal herpes is the highest during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Medscape reports that neonatal herpes can go unrecognized by doctors or misdiagnosed with bacterial sepsis. A misdiagnosis or a delayed in diagnosis increases the chances significantly of infant death.

Usher’s attorney, Zia Modabber, denied the allegations on behalf of her client. Although she declined to comment on specifics of the case, she indicated that Usher plans to fight the accusations in court.

“Usher will defend himself vigorously in court against these opportunistic claims and we will not comment further on private legal matters.”

Two other people joined Jane Doe’s lawsuit against Usher, including a man who said the singer gave him herpes after “hooking up” for sex at a Korean spa in Los Angeles. The other plaintiff, Quantasia Sharpton, didn’t develop the virus, but claims she had sex with Usher twice in Atlantic City, shortly after her 19th birthday two years ago. She’s suing the singer for reportedly not telling her he had herpes prior to their encounters.

Check back with CrimeOnline as additional information becomes available.

[Feature Photo: AP/gotpap/STAR MAX/IPx]