Usher’s ex-wife Tameka Foster Raymond wants to clear up some misunderstandings about her relationship with the R&B star and her son’s tragic 2012 death in a new memoir.
The personal stylist’s new book, “Here I Stand… in a Beautiful State,” drops today (July 27), and features a decade of drama and her story of survival against the odds.
“After several years of contemplating writing about her life, she decided to write a book after having a conversation with three women on a beach in Bali,” a press release reads. “As they spoke, they learned who Raymond’s ex-husband was and they were insistent there was no way she could be who she said she was because his wife had died. They were referring to her near-death experience in Brazil, which has been grossly misreported in the media. After that hilarious and memorable conversation on the beach, Raymond knew she had to write a book. It was time to clear up all the rumors and outright lies about her fashion career, her marriage, and her parenting.”
Promoting the memoir, Tameka explained that “here I stand after going through all the media crap, the divorce, the loss, the grief.
“It’s not all about crying. Readers are going to laugh. Even though there are chapters about death and divorce, this is not a depressing book.”
The book features tales about her style clients, too, including Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, Timbaland, Ciara, Aaliyah, Chris Brown, and Ginuwine.
She hopes there’s a message for readers: “You spend a little time suffering, you deal with the problem, and then you have to always convert back to a positive space,” she smiles. “Stay in a beautiful state, and the universe and God make sure it’ll all work itself out for you.”