Usher's ex-wife tells her story in custody battle - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

Tuesday was day two of a bitter custody battle in a Fulton County courtroom between R&B star Usher Raymond and his ex-wife, Tameka Foster.  The two divorced in 2009, but Usher is now seeking sole custody of the two children they share.  

Raymond and Foster share two sons, 4-year-old Usher Raymond V and 3-year-old Naviyd.  They currently have a co-parenting agreement, but Raymond is seeking primary custody of the two boys.  He has told the court he wants to take them on his 2013 European tour.  Foster has said she doesn't think that's appropriate.  

Day two of the proceedings was Foster's chance to tell her story.  She told the court that she grew up poor and has quite a story to tell.  She says she had her first baby at 19 with a drug-dealing boyfriend, and she has learned a lot since her days of writing bad checks and stealing.  

"Yes, I stole things," Foster testified.  "Please, I stole diapers before.  I've gone in 7-Eleven and stolen diapers out of the store.  I admit it, I was 19 years old, I'm not proud of it. I wouldn't do it now."

Foster said during that time of her life, she was very desperate.  

"When I lost my jobs and didn't have work, it was me and my crying baby at home," she explained.  "Just the two of us."

But she says she survived all that and is a business owner now.

Foster says her singing sensation ex-husband filed for sole custody of the children to create drama and publicity.

"I begged him on numerous occasions to withdraw this petition. I was like, ‘it's ridiculous, are you made at me? I don't know why. You know your kids are fine. They're happy. They're productive. They read, they spell. They're clean, they're fed. Maybe I don't do everything perfectly, but I do the best I can," said Foster.

Usher wants to strip Tameka of her parenting rights because he says she's been a bad mother.

The singer's attorney pointed to a physical altercation Tameka allegedly had with Usher and his new girlfriend with the children not far away. Usher had previously testified that Foster had hit him.

"I probably pushed him. I pushed him off because he was trying to like kind of move me...I was very upset. I said ‘You don't bring your mistress' – I probably said a few other words, choice words -- ‘Do not bring her to my house,'" said Foster.

Foster says she's not comfortable with her children with her children living on the road.

"I am nervous about my kids going from state to state or, in this case, country to country, foreign country to foreign country on a tour bus or even by plane," said Foster.

Raymond's attorneys wrapped up testimony with an opinion from a psychologist that Foster has a "moderately severe mental disorder."

Usher is trying to prove that he can provide a very safe and stable environment for the two boys.  Foster, who just lost her 11-year-old son, Kyle Glover, to a boating accident, is trying to maintain joint custody. She is also asking that child support be increased from $8,000 to $11,000 a month.

Testimony could wrap up on Wednesday.