Justin Bieber sues for defamation over sexual-assault claims he says he can prove are false
Justin Bieber has stepped up his rebuttal of new sexual-assault allegations by filing a $20-million defamation lawsuit against two Jane Does on Twitter who accused him of assault in 2014 and 2015, summing up their testimonies as “outrageous lies†that are “provably fabricated†and “factually impossible.â€
In a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, the pop star said he has “indisputable documentary evidence†that the social media users made up their stories. The complaint, filed by heavy-hitting celebrity attorney Martin Singer, said Bieber is bringing legal action “to clear his name and set the record straight.â€
The “Yummy†singer publicly addressed the allegations on Twitter over the weekend, noting “sexual abuse is something I don’t take lightly†and sharing his denial of the allegations as well as various receipts that contradicted one account.
In the lawsuit, Bieber, 26, claims the Jane Does “fraudulently schemed to seek attention and fame by maliciously posting despicable, blatantly false, fabricated, defamatory accusations†that he engaged in sexual assault.
The former YouTube phenom is seeking $10 million from each of the defendants, who are identified on social media as Danielle (@danielleglvn) and Kadi (@ItsnotKadi). He believes it could also be the same person using separate social-media accounts, the complaint says.
Danielle, whose Twitter account has since been removed, tweeted this month that Bieber sexually assaulted her at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas, after his surprise performance at the SXSW music festival on March 9, 2014. She was 21 and Bieber was 20 at the time, the complaint says.
However, Singer argues that Bieber did not have a room nor did he stay at the hotel in question, and that there is “documentary evidence to dispute Danielle’s malicious lie.†He cites public accounts that Bieber had dinner at the hotel the following night, which he argues was the basis of the allegation, but says Bieber left SXSW with then-girlfriend Selena Gomez, and they stayed at a rental property and a different hotel during their time in Austin.
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Likewise, Kadi’s allegations, tweeted on June 20, supported Danielle’s account and also accused the singer of sexually assaulting her at the Langham hotel in New York City on May 5, 2015, at the time of that year’s Met Gala. The attorney argues that Kadi is “an apparent superfan†who waits outside of Bieber’s hotels and appearances and has previously written she would pay him to rape her, according to tweets cited in the lawsuit.
Singer argues her statements regarding the 2015 encounter are “factually impossible†and are “contradicted by her own prior statements, are supported only by falsified or faked texts, and her allegations are a complete fabrication for the self-stated purpose of garnering fame and attention.â€
The complaint also says numerous witnesses contradict her account, and that Bieber was attending a Met Gala after-party at the time she alleges the assault.
“It is abundantly clear that these two individuals are trying to capitalize on the climate of fear permeating the entertainment industry, Hollywood and corporate America, whereby it is open season for anyone to make any claim (no matter how vile, unsupported, and provably false) about anyone without consequence,†the complaint says.
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