Usher defended his protégé, Justin Bieber, on June 7 following criticism from fans and media of the 20-year-old's racial slurs were made public last week.

Usher had initially kept quiet when the videos were first leaked; however, the R&B took to Instagram and Twitter on Saturday to defend the young artist, saying that he believed the young Canadian wasn't a racist and described him as a "naïve child" who didn't yet fully grasp the implications of his words and actions at the time, the Daily Mail reported.

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"At my core, I am person that supports growth and understands without judgment, that growth often comes as a result of pain and continue(d) effort. As I have watched Justin Bieber navigate difficult waters as a young man, I can tell you that he hasn't always chosen the path of his greatest potential, but he is unequivocally not a racist," he wrote.

"What he was 5 years ago was a naïve child who did not understand the negative power and degradation that comes from playing with racial slurs. What he is now is a young man faced with an opportunity to become his best self, an example to the millions of kids that follow him to not make the same mistakes."

Usher had included in his post a photo of him with the young Bieber at around the age when the controversial videos were made.

The leaked videos of the young Bieber showed him singing his hit 2010 song, "One Less Lonely Girl," and replacing the word "girl" with the N-word and adding the line, "If I kill you, I'll be part of the KKK."  

Backlash from the release of the videos had added to his recently unstable image as a bad boy amidst legal and public controversies. Bieber had immediately issued an apology and referred to himself as a reckless and immature boy at the time who "didn't understand the power of certain words and how they can hurt."

"I take my friendships with people of all cultures very seriously and I apologize for offending or hurting anyone with my childish and inexcusable mistake," he told TMZ.

"I was a kid then and I am a man now who knows my responsibility to the world and to not make that mistake again."

Other celebs that came to the young singer's defense include Soulja Boy, 50 Cent, Floyd Mayweather, Whoopi Goldberg and Russell Brand.

Recently, the young star posted a Bible of passage on his Facebook and Instagram account with the message of forgiveness and salvation.

TagsJustin Bieber, Usher, Canadian singer, Racist comments, racist, racial discrimination, Instagram, celebrity news, entertainment news, One Less Lonely Girl, Soulja Boy, 50 Cent, Whoopi Goldberg, Floyd Mayweather, Russell Brand