Usher and Chris Brown Cancel Two More Performances as Feud Reports Heat Up

Amid reports of an ongoing feud, Usher and Chris Brown have canceled two more performances on their dual-headlining “R&B Tour,” bringing the total number of canceled concerts to six. The canceled dates were all added to the tour’s original itinerary in August. The latest cancellations are the November 16 performance at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and a December 6 show at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Both events are now listed as canceled on Ticketmaster, although nine more dates remain before the tour is scheduled to conclude in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 12. The cancelations come amid widespread but unconfirmed reports of feuding between the two headliners, with rumors of a loud argument taking place backstage in Atlanta. Reps for the two artists and Live Nation, the tour’s promoter, did not immediately respond to Variety’s requests for comment. The previous cancelations were in Baltimore, Cincinnati, South Carolina and Indianapolis. At the time, organizers cited a need to “prioritize the health and well-being of the touring party and crew,” according to a statement from Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium cited by Ticket News. “The demands of a tour of this length and scale are significant, and these adjustments will allow the tour to continue safely and sustainably through the remaining scheduled performances,” the statement continued. Ordinarily, the canceled shows would be considered the result of an overreach — that the ticket demand had already largely been satisfied. However, they come in the wake of the controversial November 5 concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which was marred by long delays, sound-quality issues and the pair not performing together, as they had on earlier dates of the tour. According to a report in TMZ, the dispute was over the concert’s start time, with Brown arguing to delay the show for fans caught in heavy local traffic. The show was delayed for three hours, angering fans. TMZ states that the pair still have not resolved their differences; Brown has a long history of aggressive behavior, most notably his assault on Rihanna in 2009 and most recently involving a 2023 altercation in a London nightclub, for which he received a suspended sentence last month. Despite the drama, the tour has apparently been a major success: According to Pollstar, it grossed more than $280 million through October 3. The latest cancellations are the November 16 performance at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and a December 6 show at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Both events are now listed as canceled on Ticketmaster, although nine more dates remain before the tour is scheduled to conclude in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 12. The previous cancelations were in Baltimore, Cincinnati, South Carolina and Indianapolis. The cancelations come amid widespread but unconfirmed reports of feuding between the two headliners, with rumors of a loud argument taking place backstage in Atlanta. Reps for the two artists and Live Nation, the tour’s promoter, did not immediately respond to Variety’s requests for comment. A statement from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis cited by pointed toward the At the time, organizers cited a need to “prioritize the health and well-being of the touring party and crew,” according to a statement from Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium cited by Ticket News. “The demands of a tour of this length and scale are significant, and these adjustments will allow the tour to continue safely and sustainably through the remaining scheduled performances,” the statement continued. The latest cancellations come in the wake of the controversial November 5 concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which was marred by long delays, sound-quality issues and the pair not performing together, as they had on earlier dates of the tour. According to a report in TMZ, the dispute was over the concert’s start time, with Brown arguing to delay the show for fans caught in heavy local traffic. Despite the drama, the tour has apparently been a major success: According to Pollstar, the production grossed more than $280 million through October 3.