"I give you my heart in exchange" — Usher apologizes to fans at Abu Dhabi concert for not being able to feed them cherries seemingly due to UAE's laws

Usher decided to forgo his popular cherry-feeding segment during his recent Abu Dhabi show, allegedly because of the UAE's public decency laws. For the unversed, the cherry-feeding segment is one of the highlights of the singer's ongoing "Past Present and Future" tour in support of his most recent album, Coming Home.

The Yeah! singer usually walks around the venue with a bowl of cherries as part of the bit, either feeding fans himself or watching couples feed each other. On April 19, the singer performed at Abu Dhabi's Club Social, held at Etihad Park in Yas Island.

During the show, the singer informed fans he would not be handing out cherries that night, offering his heart and love in exchange.

"Well, I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen. No, I will not be giving out any cherries tonight. But I got nothing but love for you. I give you my heart in exchange for the cherries. I give you my love in exchange for the cherries tonight," he said.

While he did not explicitly mention the reason, many assumed the segment was dropped due to the UAE's strict laws about public decency, which, according to the Federal Penal Code, prohibited "acts that violate public morality and can be punished with fines and even imprisonment for repeat offender."

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Usher's Cherry segment has involved celebrities like T.I. and Ruby Rose

The cherry-feeding segment during Usher's ongoing "Past Present and Future" tour has become widely popular, leading to several viral moments with celebrities.

During the singer's Los Angeles show in September 2024, he attempted to feed The Little Mermaid actress and singer Halle Bailey some cherries. However, Bailey's then-boyfriend DDG took the cherry from his hand and fed Bailey himself amid laughter from the couple.

This is not the only instance of the Yeah! singer feeding a celebrity partner cherries. During his Atlanta show in December, Usher approached T.I. and his wife, Tiny, looking to feed the latter some cherries.

Tiny refused at first. However, after T.I. encouraged her to participate, she ate two cherries from Usher while the singer serenaded her with There Goes My Baby.

Elsewhere, Rubi Rose and her friend shared a cherry during Usher's show at Kaseya Center in Miami in December 2024, leaving the singer visibly stunned when the camera panned to him.

Usher is known for serenading fans and celebrities alike during his shows, which have often created viral moments online. However, some instances have garnered a strong response, including a moment of the singer serenading actress Keke Palmer during his 2023 concert in Las Vegas, which was heavily criticized by Palmer's then-partner, Darius Jackson.

According to People Magazine, Jackson slammed Palmer's outfit, a sheer black dress, in a social media post at the time. He criticized her for dressing the way she did despite being a mother, referring to their toddler son Leo.

“It’s the outfit tho… you a mom,” he wrote.

Usher addressed the situation when he appeared on Palmer's podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, in February 2025, saying his role as an entertainer was to make sure everyone had a good time.

“I don’t want to take any responsibility for breaking everybody’s home up, but that wasn’t the purpose and point. It was for you to have a good time with your girls. Come out there and just enjoy… You looked fabulous, by the way. And if you didn’t wear what you wore, I wouldn’t have seen you. You was fabulous, amazing. I was like, ‘Oooh, Keke, come here, girl’,” he continued.

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In other news, the next stop of Usher's "Past Present and Future" tour is on April 22 in Amsterdam.