Last night, R&B star Usher outbid former Gossip Girl Jessica Szohr to win?a?puppy for the bargain price of $12,000. Lest you find that price to be absurdly high for a dog, particularly when you can adopt one for free, rest assured that it was for a very good cause.
The auction was a fundraiser for Pencils of Promise, a foundation that builds schools in Laos, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Ghana, supporting the wacky belief that?every child should have access to quality education.
And Usher is good for the cash (though he probably did Jessica Szohr a favor by outbidding her, since her future cash flow is questionable). The 34-year old?superstar?is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 65 million albums worldwide. He also has steady work on the horizon, since being confirmed as a new judge for season 4 of The Voice along with Shakira.
Usher was, in fact,?one of the special honorees at the event at which he won the puppy, the 2nd Annual Pencils of Promise Gala in New York City. Last year at the event, Usher tried to win a puppy but was outbid. As an extra kick in the balls, the family who beat him out for that puppy last year,?apparently named?the puppy?Usher.
While benevolent and generous, Usher is not necessarily?a brainiac.?Regarding the gala, he tweeted that it was “all in the name of feline fun!” which makes no sense at all, unless maybe he plans to feed the puppy Colliseum-style to?a pack of vicious cats. It’s more likely that?he just made a mistake, but who knows with these eccentric celebs.
Usher also tweeted that his new puppy, which is a female goldendoodle … a cross-breed between a golden retriever and a poodle … will be named Poppy Raymond.