Usher denies clone rumours after fans question New Jersey concert
The singer dismissed claims he used a body double during his 7 August performance at MetLife Stadium
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Usher denies clone rumours after fans question New Jersey concert
Photograph: IBTimes UK (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Usher performed at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 7 August as part of his co-headlining tour with Chris Brown.
- Fans posted side-by-side video comparisons questioning whether the performer was Usher, citing differences in his cap, sunglasses, cheekbone structure and hand tattoo.
- Usher denied the rumours in an Instagram comment, writing 'AI ain’t that advanced'.
- The left-rated reports led on Usher’s direct response, while the right-rated digest focused on fan speculation without mentioning his denial.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 10 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 2 of the 12 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
68/100
Craft
87/100
Hype
45/100
12 sources · methodology
Usher performed at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 7 August during his co-headlining tour with Chris Brown. After the show, fans posted video comparisons on TikTok and X, questioning whether the performer was Usher. They pointed to differences in his cap, sunglasses, cheekbone structure and a hand tattoo. Some suggested he had used a body double or clone.
Usher responded to the rumours on Instagram, writing in a comment: 'Y’all are funny... clone? They can’t clone this?? How y’all come up with this? AI ain’t that advanced.' The comment was reported by IBTimes UK and PerthNow. Fans had also compared the footage to previous photos of Usher, with some defending him by noting his age and others demanding refunds.
What the coverage left out
None of the digests or reports mentioned the specific cities or dates of Usher’s upcoming tour stops. The right-rated digest did not include Usher’s denial of the clone rumours. None of the centre-rated digests quoted fans who defended Usher by citing his age, a detail included in IBTimes UK’s full report.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 10 Aug 2026, 15:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
5 rated outlets
- The five left-rated digests and reports led on Usher’s direct response to the rumours. IBTimes UK quoted his Instagram comment in full and described the online comparisons, including fans’ observations about his cheekbone structure and hand tattoo. RollingStone and Entertainment Weekly also highlighted his denial, with RollingStone using the headline 'Usher Addresses Claims He Used a Lookalike Onstage: ‘They Can’t Clone This’'.
- Le Huffington Post and The Independent framed the story around the rumours themselves, with The Independent noting that some fans were 'purportedly asking for their money back after claiming something was off about the New Jersey show'. None of the left-rated digests omitted Usher’s denial.
Centre
4 rated outlets
- The four centre-rated digests carried Usher’s denial but led with the fan speculation. PerthNow quoted his Instagram comment and described the viral clip that sparked the rumours, while Hindustan Times framed the story as Usher 'breaking silence' on the claims. Jornal Expresso’s digest summarised his response as 'You Guys Are funny... Me, a Clone? No One Can Clone This, the AI Isn’t that Advanced'.
- EURweb’s digest included additional context, noting that Usher appeared in white and sunglasses during the performance. None of the centre-rated digests omitted his denial, but none quoted it as prominently as the left-rated reports.
Right
1 rated outlet
- Het Laatste Nieuws, the only right-rated digest, led on fan speculation without mentioning Usher’s denial. The digest described 'striking images' from the concert that left fans 'wondering' whether he had used a lookalike. It did not include his Instagram response or any reference to artificial intelligence.
Read it at the source
12 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
5- 'They Can't Clone This': Usher Responds to Rumours He Used Body Double at Metlife Stadium Concert (opens IBTimes UK in a new tab)
IBTimes UK — is IBTimes UK biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Usher, Cloned? The Singer Ironizes on the Crazy Rumor Surrounding His Last Concerts (opens Le Huffington Post in a new tab)
Le Huffington Post — is Le Huffington Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Usher responds directly to bizarre internet rumours that he’s a clone (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Usher Addresses Claims He Used a Lookalike Onstage: ‘They Can’t Clone This’ (opens RollingStone in a new tab)
RollingStone — is RollingStone biased? Our profile of this outlet
- No, Usher has not been cloned despite bizarre internet theory: ‘They can’t clone this’ (opens Entertainment Weekly in a new tab)
Entertainment Weekly — is Entertainment Weekly biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
4- You Guys Are funny... Me, a Clone? No One Can Clone This, the AI Isn't that Advanced. (opens Jornal Expresso in a new tab)
Jornal Expresso — is Jornal Expresso biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Did Usher really use a clone body during New Jersey concert? Yeah singer breaks silence on viral clips (opens Hindustan Times in a new tab)
Hindustan Times — is Hindustan Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Usher hits back at bizarre 'clone' conspiracy theory (opens PerthNow in a new tab)
- Usher Laughs Off Wild ‘Clone’ Rumor After Fans Question MetLife Performance - U Decide | WATCH | EURweb | Black News, Culture, Entertainment & More (opens EURweb in a new tab)
Right
1Not rated
2How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
More in Media
All Media →Elsewhere on the site
Business & Economy•5 min readUS jobs fall by 23,000 in July 2026, cutting odds of September Fed rate rise


