The CSI Star Who Called Out Justin Bieber's Behavior On Set
Amid all the dating advice out there, one rule generally holds true: If someone is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, they are not a nice person. In fact, this rule extends way beyond dating. Just think of those annoying colleagues who suck up to the boss, but are short with the receptionist or barely know the janitor's name. Kindness can be a commodity even in the film industry — if you're rude to crew members, you're going to get a bad reputation. Unfortunately, Justin Bieber discovered this the hard way.
Way back in 2010, the "Baby" singer guest-starred on two episodes of "CSI," CBS's hit show about catching bad guys with the help of forensics. But, according to then-main cast member Marg Helgenberger, his on-set behavior was borderline criminal itself. Speaking to Le Grand Direct des Medias, a French radio show (via People), she claimed he was "nice" to her, but "kind of a brat" to the other, non-celeb staff members.
What did Bieber do to lead Helgenberger to complain? And does it mean he's one of those "not-nice" people? Read on to find out.
How Justin Bieber allegedly upset the CSI crew
There's being rude, and then there's just behaving like an absolute delinquent. If Marg Helgenberger is to be believed, Justin Bieber's antics behind the scenes at "CSI" definitely falls into the latter category. In the above-mentioned interview, she claims the "Boyfriend" singer "locked one of the producers in a closet and he put his fist through a cake that was on the craft services table." (via People). Just... what?
There are a lot of things to unpack in that accusation, but let's start with the cake. While it's possible that Bieber simply isn't a fan of frosting, the fact that it was on the craft services table implies it was meant for crew members — and it's unlikely that they appreciated the flavor addition of his knuckles to their food. As for locking a producer in a closet? Yikes.
Bieber cannot even blame method acting for this one, as he was playing the brother of a baddie rather than a criminal himself. So, why on earth would Bieber behave in such a way? Read on to find out what he had to say about it.
Justin Bieber called the allegations against him 'lame'
Marg Helgenberger, who portrayed the iconic showgirl-turned-investigator on "CSI," certainly isn't the first celeb to complain about Justin Bieber's bad behavior. However, Bieber seemingly dismissed her criticisms as "rumors" on Twitter shortly after news of the interview broke. "It's kinda lame when someone you met briefly and never worked with comments on you," he tweeted, adding graciously, "I will continue to wish them luck and be kind."
It's possible that Bieber's Twitter denial was his way of trying to punch his cake and eat it, too, but it's also worth noting that he was only a teenager when his cameo on "CSI" was filmed. While youth doesn't excuse rudeness, he revealed in a 2019 Instagram post that early fame and privilege had a negative effect on his attitude, writing: "Everyone did everything for me, so I never even learned the fundamentals of responsibility."
Helgenberger herself somewhat backtracked her harsh comments in a 2015 interview with Entertainment Tonight. While maintaining that the crew might have had "issues" with him, she noted that it wasn't her place to speak about it, and reiterated that Bieber was "lovely" to her. Indeed, none of the other "CSI" staff members have seemingly addressed the issue. Whatever the truth, Bieber appears to be in a better emotional space these days. But, just to be safe, maybe don't let him anywhere near your birthday cake.