Usher opens up about parenting a child with diabetes: ‘Normalcy has changed’

Usher’s son Usher V, now 16, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when he was just 6 years old

Usher is getting candid about the reality of parenthood with a child diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

In an interview with Parents magazine published Monday, June 10, the 45-year-old musician opened up about the challenges faced by not only him, but also his son, Usher V, whom he co-parents with his ex-wife Tameka Foster.

“Life would be different and it would change after that day,” he said, recalling the fateful day a decade ago when his little one was first diagnosed at just six years old.

“This wasn’t something that could easily be remedied – it was a lifestyle; it was a life change,” he added.

The King of R&B then acknowledged the impact the disease had on his now-16-year-old son growing up.

“You would never think that a six-year-old would have to all of a sudden be conscious of what they are. Those are the last things that you’re thinking about when you’re that safe, and then the idea that normalcy has changed in comparison to other children that my child would be around,” he said.

Further reflecting on the challenges, Usher said, “If my child ever wanted to go on a trip or do the normal things that kids do to be social, I’m always thinking about it. It’s always lingering in the back of my mind.”