R&B singer Usher has issued a second response to the recently released footage of Justin Bieber using the n-word and making other racist remarks. On Thursday (June 5), celebrity magazine People released a portion of a cover story featuring Usher in which the singer comes to Bieber’s defense.

Yesterday morning (June 7), Usher made another public show of support for Bieber via his Instagram account. Posting a years-old image of himself alongside the “Boyfriend” singer, Usher claimed that his protege “is unequivocally not a racist.”

“At my core, I am a person that supports growth and understands without judgement, that growth often comes as a result of pain and continues effort,” Usher wrote. “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.

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“What he was 5 years ago was a naive child who did not understand the negative power and degradation that comes from playing with racial slurs,” the singer added. “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.”

The original footage of Bieber’s remarks is available here.

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RELATED: Usher Addresses Justin Bieber’s Racist Remarks