Times Justin Bieber Was Caught On Camera For All The Wrong Reasons
One could argue few pop stars have broken as many hearts as Justin Bieber. We're not just referring to Selena Gomez, but all the Beliebers around the world who have fallen for the singer's undeniable charm. When it comes to questionable behavior, however, that charm can only go so far.
Bieber first became a public figure in 2010 when his debut single "Baby" hit the airwaves. From that point on, he's been subjected to intense scrutiny — and that scrutiny hasn't exactly worked in his favor. Over the course of his career, Bieber has made his fair share of very public mistakes and has weathered a number of controversies. In recent years, he's tried to learn from his past behavior and grow. "A lot of people let their past weigh them down, and they never do what they want to do because they think that they're not good enough," he told GQ in 2021. "But I'm just like: 'I did a bunch of stupid s**t. That's okay. I'm still available. I'm still available to help. And I'm still worthy of helping.'"
From heartbreaks, legal drama, aggressive run-ins with the paparazzi, and questionable social media posts, there's plenty of controversy when it comes to the singer's past. We're breaking down all the times Justin Bieber was caught on camera for all the wrong reasons.
Adoring fans received a spitty salutation
Justin Bieber lived up to his bad-boy reputation in 2013 when he reportedly spat off the ledge of his balcony at a Toronto hotel he was staying at. As per footage obtained by TMZ, Bieber leaned over and seemingly spat into the crowd of loyal fans that had gathered below. The "Ghost" singer posted footage of his fans beneath the balcony to his Instagram (via Daily Mail) after the incident, writing, "'I wake up this morning to this ... best fans in the world #beliebers #sexyfans."
It isn't the only saliva projectile controversy the star has been involved in, however. Earlier that year, a man accused Bieber of spitting at him at a nightclub. The Ohio DJ called into the Dave and Jimmy show on WNCI (via TMZ) to share his version of the purported incident. "Two of Bieber's bouncers approached me and said I was trying to take pictures of Bieber," he said, adding that the singer's team may have been worried because he wasn't old enough to be at the club. After Bieber's team looked through the phone, Bieber then approached. "He called my mom something, called my dad something, called me something ... and spit in my face," he alleged.
Justin Bieber caught a ride to the Great Wall of China
It is no secret that Justin Bieber is a wildly successful and famous pop star, and it is also no secret that he's exhibited some behavior that only a mega celebrity could (almost) get away with. While he was in China for The Believe Tour in 2013, the singer visited the Great Wall. However, his image took yet another hit when photos of his bodyguards carrying him around one of the world's seven wonders emerged.
In the pics, we see Bieber clearly perched atop the shoulders of two security team members as they made their way up the stairs. This display got a lot of heat on social media, to say the least; Some Canadian Twitter users were even eager to distance themselves from the Ontario native. As one critic tweeted, "Canada has given the USA Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Nickelback....and Ted Cruz! You're welcome! KEEP THEM!" Taiwanese site Nownews also called out the singer, writing at the time, "Seriously? Justin Bieber is so weak that he needs two guards to carry him on the Great Wall?" The outlet went on to add, "Isn't climbing the Great Wall all about experiencing the breathtaking process during the hike?" It's safe to say those pics didn't earn him many new Beliebers.
Justin Bieber and the pot shot
2013 was a busy year for Justin Bieber. That January, the Grammy-winning artist sparked controversy when he appeared to be sparking up in some snapshots. Per TMZ, the singer was photographed holding what certainly looked like a blunt at a get-together in a hotel room. The photos made the news just a day after a paparazzo died while attempting to take photos of Bieber's vehicle. As per TMZ, Chris Guerra was chasing after Bieber's Ferrari when he was struck by another vehicle. Sources said Bieber's friend was driving the car, and the singer was not in the Ferrari during the incident. (According to E! News, it was later determined another car hit Guerra.)
While Bieber didn't address the accident, he did joke about the blunt photos when he hosted an episode of "Saturday Night Live" the following month. Playing a Miley Cyrus super fan in one of the evening's sketches, he took a moment to sort of acknowledge the pot shot. "I also heard he got busted for smoking weed and he's really sorry about it and that people make mistakes and he's never going to do it again," Bieber's character said. Cut to 2021 when Bieber created his own cannabis line.
A paparazzo's comments got the better of him
Justin Bieber has had no shortage of messy run-ins with the paparazzi. But in 2013, the "Love Yourself" singer had to be restrained after a paparazzo fired some derogatory comments his way. In a clip obtained by the Telegraph, one photog told Bieber to "f**k off back to America" and called him a "f**king little moron" as he got settled in his car. Just as the driver was getting ready to head out, Bieber opened his own door and got out of the vehicle. Evidently, the photog got a rise out of him.
One of Bieber's bodyguards held the singer back as he yelled, "The f**k did you say?" The paparazzo dug his heels in, replying, "You heard what I said ... you heard what I f**king said, mate." Bieber then lunged at the man, but before things could escalate, his security team got him back in the car.
Bieber took to Twitter following the controversy, writing, "Ahhhhh! Rough morning. Trying to feel better for this show tonight but let the paps get the best of me." Fans responded to the post in a show of support with one user writing, "There r 7 billion people in the world don't let a couple of people get to u and spoil ur day."
The infamous mop bucket incident
When you gotta go, you gotta go — and Justin Bieber's not opposed to going in a restaurant mop bucket. Or at least he wasn't in 2013. As TMZ reported at the time, when the singer was leaving a nightclub one evening, he apparently just could not hold his pee. In the video obtained by TMZ, the singer pulled over at a mop bucket in the restaurant's kitchen and relieved himself. On his way out of the building, he also sprayed a framed photograph of Bill Clinton and shouted, "F*** Bill Clinton!"
In a 2015 interview with Complex (via Toronto Sun), Bieber made it clear that he did not lose any sleep over peeing in a bucket in a commercial kitchen. "Honestly, I think the pissing in the bucket wasn't as big as people made it seem," he said. "Imagine, you hear that f***ing Ozzy Osbourne pisses backstage. Immediately, 'Oh, he's a freaking rock star!' As soon as I do it, 'He's being a brat.' Dude, what is bratty about pissing in a bucket? I had to go piss, we all have to pee... The bathroom was like on the other side... It wasn't like I was being disrespectful. I feel like that was pretty ostracizing — bigger than it should've been."
Justin Bieber posed in front of a controversial shrine
It's not exactly the best look for a pop star to pose in front of a polarizing shrine. Just ask Justin Bieber, as the singer was caught doing exactly that during his trip to Tokyo in 2014. During the "Confident" singer's stay, he paid a visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, a controversial monument that includes over a dozen Class A war criminals.
"Thank you for your blessings," Bieber wrote in a since-deleted social media post that featured him in front of the shrine (via Time). After receiving backlash, Bieber issued an apology via Instagram. "While in Japan I asked my driver to pull over for which I saw a beautiful shrine. I was mislead [sic] to think the Shrines were only a place of prayer. To anyone I have offended I am extremely sorry. I love you China and I love you Japan," Bieber wrote.
It isn't the first time Bieber has come under fire for his behavior at historically significant locations. Controversy flared up after he visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam in 2013 and left a questionable comment in the guestbook of the museum. "Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber," he reportedly wrote.
Justin Bieber's memorable deposition
Justin Bieber's had a lot of legal drama, but in 2014, he gave a deposition that's still shocking to this day. Biebs was called in for questioning after a paparazzo alleged he'd been assaulted by a member of the pop star's security team. The "Beauty and a Beat" singer was not exactly thrilled to be there, and he did not hide it. From firing back at the photog's lawyer to appearing entirely uninterested in the matter at hand to literally pretending to fall asleep, it's a rollercoaster of a performance.
In a video obtained by TMZ of the nearly five-hour-long taping, Bieber was dismissive of a question about Usher's role in his career, said the deposition felt more like an interview, and refused to answer certain questions. At one point, the photographer's lawyer brought up Selena Gomez, irritating Bieber to no end. One of Bieber's representatives said the question wasn't relevant, adding, "Be a lawyer, man." After the photographer's attorney continued to press the issue, Bieber sighed and waved a finger as he said, "Don't ask me about her again." Then, Bieber and his team left the room.
The "Boyfriend" singer, the photog, and the security guard ultimately settled the case for an undisclosed amount in 2015
Following a DUI arrest, Justin Bieber did some pushups
In 2014, Justin Bieber was arrested for the first time. The "Rollercoaster" singer was nabbed in Miami on a number of charges, including drunk driving and resisting arrest. Per CBS News, the singer also had marijuana and Xanax in his system. The 19-year-old pop star didn't appear to be worse for wear after the incident, however, as he was seen in surveillance footage doing push-ups after getting booked. Bieber posted bail hours after the arrest and was released. He pled guilty to careless driving and resisting arrest, and was ordered to shell out some money and attend some classes.
In 2021, he took to Instagram to reflect on the incident. "7 years ago today I was arrested, not my finest hour. Not proud of where I was at in my life. I was hurting, unhappy, confused, angry, mislead, misunderstood, and angry at god," the singer wrote. "I also wore too much leather for someone in Miami." The singer went on to write about how his faith helped him grow from the experience. "My encouragement to you is to 'let your past be a reminder of how far god has brought you. Don't allow shame to ruin your 'today,'" he wrote.
Videos surfaced of Justin Bieber telling racist jokes
Justin Bieber's past came back to haunt him in 2014 when videos surfaced of him making racist remarks. In one video obtained by TMZ, the singer told a joke that involved making chainsaw noises and using the n-word. Bieber, who was 15 at the time of the video, later apologized for his actions. In a statement to the AP (via Jacksonville.com), Bieber wrote, "I'm very sorry. I take all my friendships with people of all cultures very seriously and I apologize for offending or hurting anyone with my childish and inexcusable behavior."
It wasn't the only racist video that the pop star came under fire for, however. That same year, TMZ got wind of yet another old video where he used the n-word in an offensive rendition of "One Less Lonely Girl." He also sang, "If I kill you, I'll be a part of the KKK." The outlet also noted that Usher was aware of the video and patiently explained to Bieber why those lyrics were so harmful. Bieber told TMZ, "As a kid, I didn't understand the power of certain words and how they can hurt. I thought it was ok to repeat hurtful words and jokes, but didn't realize at the time that it wasn't funny and that in fact my actions were continuing the ignorance."
Justin Bieber allegedly punched a fan
While he may adore most Beliebers, Justin Bieber is not exactly a fan of fans who get too close. Back in 2016, all madness broke loose when Bieber arrived at a concert venue in Barcelona ahead of his own show. As his car pulled up to the arena, the star was met by a giant entourage of excited supporters — nothing out of the norm right? Well, things got messy when one fan reached into his moving vehicle.
In a clip obtained by TMZ, a fan named Kevin Ramirez can be seen reaching for the singer through the open car window before Bieber allegedly responded with a jab to the face. When Ramirez turned away from Bieber's car, his mouth was bleeding. "He just punched me," Ramirez alleged in Spanish, as reported by CBS News. "I touched his face like this and he went, boom!" As far as meet and greets go, we're sure this isn't what that fan had in mind.
Per BBC News, Ramirez considered taking legal action against the pop star. He also told radio host Julia Otero that he decided not to attend the concert after the incident.
Justin Bieber hit a paparazzo with his car
While celebrities' run-ins with paparazzi can be tense, they often don't end with the photographers being struck by cars. Alas, Justin Bieber struck a paparazzo with his vehicle in 2017 after attending a church service. At the time, the Beverly Hills Police Department told People that William Wilson suffered non-life-threatening injuries and sought medical treatment.
A tipster told People that everything went south when several photographers would not get out of the pop star's way. "He tried to scare away the paparazzi but as he neared the group, he accidentally hit one of the photographers who was in his path," the source said. The singer was not charged nor given a ticket for the incident.
Another source told People, "Justin was surrounded by paparazzi leaving church services and accidentally grazed or came into contact with one of the paps surrounding his truck. To say he 'ran over' or 'hit' the guy is misleading and an overstatement and implies something much more grave than what happened." The source also noted that Bieber was the one to call 911 services and stayed with the injured paparazzo until help arrived. Following the accident, Wilson wrote on Instagram, "He got out, he was compassionate, he's a good kid, accidents happen." Two years later, Wilson filed a lawsuit against Bieber, citing an issue with the insurance settlement. According to Page Six, Bieber's insurance company left him in a lurch and he just wanted to pay his medical expenses.