Key Takeaways
- Usher wants a Fulton County judge to sanction attorney Alcide Honoré and enter a default judgment over $700,000 he says remains unpaid from a $1.7 million loan.
- His lawyers accuse Honoré of ignoring a court order to account for the money and cite wire records that they say contradict his denial of receiving the funds.
- The loan supported the proposed Homage ATL restaurant and lounge in Buckhead; Honoré returned $1 million in August 2025, and Usher now also seeks legal fees.
Usher has asked a Fulton County judge to sanction the Atlanta lawyer who he claims has yet to repay a $700,000 loan.
In the November 9 Fulton County Superior Court filing, as seen by Complex, the R&B singer opposes the attempt for lawyer Alcide Honoré's to dismiss the motion. It also asks the court to strike his answer, dismiss his counterclaim with prejudice and enter a default judgment against Honoré on liability.
The eight-time Grammy winner also wants the court to confirm that $1.7 million was wired into Honoré's trust account on January 8, 2025, while $700,000 of it was never returned. The R&B vocalist is also asking for his legal fees to be covered.
In response, Honoré denied being deposited funds, while lawyers for Usher called his comment "a bald-faced lie." Court documents show Usher’s belief that Honoré was being "evasive and incomplete" with his evidence and claims his objections are "baseless" and "empty."
Honoré’s evidence includes a wire confirmation showing $1.7 million sent from The UR Trust to "Honore Law LLC Trust" on January 8, 2025, with the memo "Loan - New Club Opening." The filing also references a text from Honoré reading: "Over 1M I'm calculating exact numbers," in addition to his own sworn statement that $1 million went back to The UR Trust from his trust account.
Usher's lawyers claim Honoré is "manifestly playing games to prolong and obstruct the advancement of the case" by ignoring a September 28 order to account for the money.
Also cited in the filing are wire records from Bank of America into the trust account paying a title company and wiring money to Bank Leumi in Israel. On June 9, 2025, it sent $400,000 to "ARMOND HONORE," whom the filing describes as Honoré's brother. A second wiring of $25,000 was issued to a title company that same day.
As previously reported, the investment was intended for a building at 3102 Piedmont Road in Buckhead to construct Homage ATL, an upscale restaurant and lounge. While Usher opted for a loan in the building of the business, $1 million was returned to him in August 2025. The singer claimed Honoré told him repaying the remainder was "not that easy."
Usher sued Honoré, R&B producer and songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox, Keith Thomas, Charles Hughes and related defendants on November 14, 2025. Cox would respond to the suit days later, calling his 27-year friendship with Usher "fully intact" and claiming that he was a "passive minority shareholder," per The Grio.
If Usher wins the sanctions request, Honoré would face a default judgment on liability on all counts, with damages to be decided later.
