Grace Michelle Harry is an American businesswoman, music executive, chef, author, and social activist best known as the ex-wife of R&B superstar Usher.
She spent three decades building a career at the top of the music industry before pivoting to become a joy strategist, author, and community builder.
Who is Grace Harry?
Grace Harry, also known by her former name Grace Miguel, is a Brooklyn-born entrepreneur who has worn many professional hats across culinary arts, music, and wellness.
She served as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Creative Services at Island Def Jam Records, one of the most powerful positions she held during her long entertainment career.
Beyond music, she worked as an executive chef on the set of The Cosby Show, managed Usher’s career, and founded the joy community “Play with Grace.”
In 2023, she released her first book, The Joy Strategist: Your Path to Inner Change, published by Andscape Books.
Her personal life drew wide public attention through her marriage to Usher and her relationship with musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.
Yet Grace has built a name for herself that stands well apart from either association.
Early Life of Grace Harry
Grace Michelle Harry was born on April 2, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up in challenging circumstances that would shape much of her adult outlook and activism.
Her mother was only 17 years old when she gave birth to Grace. In an interview with rapper and actor Common for ThinkCommon, Grace revealed that she spent time in foster care as a child.
She was later reunited with her mother after a short period. Her father worked as an activist but struggled with drug addiction and spent years in prison.
Though she does not publicly share her parents’ names, she has spoken of her mother as an extremely hardworking woman. Grace has kept details about any siblings private.
Grace Harry’s Age / Birthday
Grace Harry is 57 years old as of 2026, born on April 2, 1969. Her zodiac sign is Aries, a sign associated with determination and bold initiative.
Today, she channels that energy into her joy strategy work and public speaking career.
Grace Harry’s Ethnicity and Nationality
Grace holds American nationality, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She is of mixed ethnicity: African-American on her father’s side and Caucasian on her mother’s side.
Her multicultural background has informed her artistic vision and community work throughout her career.
Grace Harry’s Height and Weight
Grace Harry stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, which is approximately 167 centimetres. She weighs around 132 pounds, or 60 kilograms.
Known for her composed and expressive stage presence, she brings a distinctive energy to every public appearance.
Grace Harry’s Education
Grace attended the Culinary Institute of America, where she trained in culinary arts. That foundation gave her the skills to work as an executive chef early in her career.
Her culinary training later combined with her passion for the entertainment industry to shape an unusual and wide-ranging professional path.
Grace Harry’s Career
Grace Harry’s career spans more than three decades across two very different industries: food and music.
She started in catering, moved into major-label music executive roles, and later reinvented herself as a joy strategist and author. Each phase built directly on the last.
Early Career: Catering and The Cosby Show (1990s)
Grace began her working life in the culinary world. She joined catering companies responsible for food quality on professional sets and events. Her reputation for precision and creativity drew attention quickly.
That work led to a landmark role as executive chef on the set of The Cosby Show, one of the most-watched television programs of its era.
After her time at the show ended, she decided to pivot into music. Her transition was eased by the connections she had already made in New York’s creative scene.
As she later explained, she had spent years pairing musicians and artists together for special projects and knew people throughout the industry.
That network became the entry point for her second career.
Music Executive Career (1990s–2018)
Grace rose steadily through the ranks of the music business over nearly 30 years. She held positions at Island Def Jam Records, Jive Records, MCA Records, and Geffen Records, working in marketing, creative services, and artist management.
Her most prominent executive role came as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Creative Services at Island Def Jam Records.
In that role, she worked on campaigns for some of the biggest names in hip-hop, R&B, and pop music.
She also managed Usher’s career for a period and co-founded the creative consultancy Coup D’État alongside him.
Grace also oversaw Usher’s philanthropic organisation, Usher’s New Look, during their time together.
Her work behind the scenes helped shape the public profiles of multiple major artists across multiple decades.
The Joy Strategist Era (2019–Present)
After leaving the music business, Grace redirected her energy toward wellness and creative empowerment.
She launched “Play with Grace,” a playdate community that invites adults to reconnect with joy through play, creativity, and mindfulness exercises.
In October 2023, she published The Joy Strategist: Your Path to Inner Change through Andscape Books.
The 224-page hardcover blends memoir, self-help exercises, and cultural commentary.
It received praise from Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, rapper Common, and several major publications including The New York Times and Vogue Online.
Her work as a joy strategist has been featured in The Times UK and The London Evening Standard, among others.
She has also helped clients ranging from everyday people to industry figures like Jay-Z and Lauryn Hill reconnect with their sense of joy.
Grace Harry’s Net Worth
Grace Harry’s estimated net worth is $3 million as of 2026. Her income comes from her decades-long career as a music industry executive, her culinary work, her role as a joy strategist and community builder, and her published book.
Her 30-year run at labels including Island Def Jam, Jive, MCA, and Geffen Records represents the core of her professional earnings.
Her current work as a speaker, author, and community host through “Play with Grace” adds to those income streams.
She has also been active on Instagram, where her personal brand supports her joy strategy platform.
Grace Harry’s Ex-Husband Usher
Grace Harry and R&B superstar Usher Raymond IV dated for several years before marrying in September 2015.
The wedding took place privately in Cuba, which Usher confirmed in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres. Usher is eight years younger than Grace.
The couple announced their separation in March 2018 through a joint statement: “After much thought and consideration we have mutually decided to separate as a couple.
We remain deeply connected, loving friends who will continue supporting each other through the next phases of our lives.” Grace filed for divorce on December 28, 2018, following a nine-month separation.
Their split came amid public attention on Usher after multiple lawsuits related to a herpes disclosure scandal.
The official reason for the divorce was not publicly stated by either party. Grace has largely kept quiet about the details of that period in her life.
She is not Usher’s first wife. He was previously married to Tameka Foster from 2007 to 2009 and shares two sons with her.
Grace Harry’s Relationship with Questlove
After her divorce from Usher, Grace began a relationship with Ahmir Khalib Thompson, widely known by his stage name Questlove.
Questlove is an American musician, DJ, filmmaker, and record producer, and the drummer and joint frontman of the hip-hop band The Roots.
Questlove has spoken warmly about Grace’s influence on his life, crediting her with introducing him to the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza during the pandemic.
He also wrote a glowing endorsement for her 2023 book The Joy Strategist, calling himself a long-time user of its principles.
The two occasionally share photos of each other on their social media pages, though they keep the details of their relationship private.
Grace Harry’s Children
Grace Harry is the mother of two children from a previous relationship before her marriage to Usher.
Her daughter is named Leaf Miguel and her son is named Raiden Wolf McLean. Both children took on Grace’s surname during her time with Usher.
She did not have children with Usher during their marriage.
Grace Harry’s Social Media
Grace Harry is active on Instagram under the handle @graceharry. She uses the platform to share updates on her joy strategy work, book appearances, and personal life.
Conclusion
Grace Harry’s three-decade career arc from catering sets to a corner office at Island Def Jam, and then from divorce to authoring a bestselling book on joy, reflects a genuinely unusual life built on reinvention.
Her 2023 book gave public shape to ideas she had been putting into practice for years, and her community “Play with Grace” continues to draw people searching for exactly what she spent so long learning to find herself.