“Usher and I met because i was one of the top stylists in the game. You don’t get to work with someone of his stature in music, especially back then, without being one of the best,” she says sitting across from me in her well-appointed living room that’s a mixture of her taste (Anthony Liggins originals adorn the walls) and her travels (an intricately crafted wooden piece from St. Barths sits on her coffee table). “And I still am hardworking.”

According to Raymond, Usher filed for sole custody of their kids in January 2011. Nine months later, she filed for sole custody as a counteraction. She thinks she understands his reasons, including control and wanting the kids to move around as he does.

“He is a man very accustomed to having his way,” Raymond says. “This has nothing to do with how I parent. Trust me, I never will have a desire to keep a man away from his kids. I am not June Cleaver or head of the PTA, but I know I am a good mother.”