Usher ‘not happy’ with Justin Bieber’s choices

CEBU, Philippines – Justin Bieber’s long-time mentor Usher is still supportive, even if gives him a “good punch in the chest” sometimes.

Opening up to Billboard magazine about the pop singer’s highly publicized troubles, Usher said, “He’s making his own decisions and it’s important to show support. I can say I’m not happy with all the choices my friend has made, but I’m supportive of him. I try my hardest to give as much positive reinforcement as I can. I’ll punch him in the chest when I need to, and give him a hug and a kiss when I need to. It’s more than just mentoring. I love the kid.”

Usher has been by 20-year-old Bieber’s side since the singer was just 13. Now, Usher says, their relationship is more “man-to-man.”

Back in June, Usher jumped to Bieber’s defense after a video surfaced in which the Canadian star used racial slurs. “As I have watched Justin Bieber navigate difficult waters as a young man, I can tell you that he hasn’t always chosen the path of his greatest potential, but he is unequivocally not a racist. What he was five years ago was a naïve child who did not understand the negative power and degradation that comes from playing with racial slurs. What he is now is a young man faced with an opportunity to become his best self, an example to the millions of kids that follow him not to make the same mistakes,” he wrote.