Justin Bieber denied online rumors that he was abused by Sean Combs in his first public statement since Combs was arrested for sex-trafficking and racketeering.
With Combs’ trial underway this week in New York, Bieber’s rep released a statement Friday in part due to the many rumors that have propagated since Combs’ arrest that alluded to Bieber being an abuse victim of Combs.
“Although Justin is not among Sean Combs’ victims, there are individuals who were genuinely harmed by him,” the rep said in a statement to People. “Shifting focus away from this reality detracts from the justice these victims rightfully deserve.”
In the aftermath of Combs’ arrest, the internet was awash with resurfaced videos where the Bad Boy exec and the then-teenaged singer talked about hanging out together, a conversation that — in light of the accusations — is unsettling. “Where we hanging out and what we’re doing we can’t really disclose. But it’s definitely a 15-year-old’s dream,” Combs said in one clip. “For the next 48 hours, he’s with me. And we’re gonna go full. Buck full crazy.”
The resurfaced clips — coupled with Bieber’s worrying public activity, rumors of drug use, and emotional social media posts — led some to assume that he was abused by Combs or participated in the alleged “Freak-Offs,” but the singer’s rep denied those claims Friday. Bieber himself has not yet directly commented on the Combs situation.
On Friday, the Combs trial resumed with Cassie on the stand in what is expected to be the final day of her grueling, explicit four-day testimony; the singer is eight-and-a-half months pregnant, which pushed the prosecution to introduce her testimony early in the trial.
This week has been the first time the former celebrity couple of Combs and Cassie had seen each other in years. Combs is on trial for the sex-trafficking of two women between 2009 and 2024, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted.
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