Law&Crime Sidebar - Justin Bieber Speaks Out About P. Diddy Sex Abuse Rumors

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Starting point is 00:00:35 will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't let your fears take hold of you as you dive into this addictive series. Love thrillers with a paranormal twist? The entire Oracle trilogy is available on Audible. Listen now on Audible. I don't really, I don't have legal guardianship of him, but for the next 48 hours, he's with me. So, um, and we're going to go full, full, crazy. Going crazy. Crazy. When Sean Diddy Combs' properties were raided in March of 2024, there was a lot of speculation about what might be found inside and whether it would be connected to any of his celebrity

Starting point is 00:01:10 friends and acquaintances. As Homeland Security agents poured out of his mansions in L.A. and Miami with boxes full of electronics, there were rumors that if Combs filmed his elaborate sex performances called freak-offs or other parties, there could be video evidence of possible criminal activity. and the celebrity at the center of a lot of rumors, warranted or not, was Justin Bieber. But now, during week one of Combs' criminal trial, the singer has officially responded to allegations that Combs may have abused him as he was coming up in the music industry. We're going to talk about that right now. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber.

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Starting point is 00:02:23 Okay, let's talk about singer Justin Bieber. 31 years old, he was discovered when he was just 12, went on to become one of the most best-selling musical artists of all time, had some pretty high-profile influences like R&B superstar Usher, became Justin's mentor, controversial record executive Scooter Braun, was his manager as the teen basically shot to start him. And among his celebrity acquaintances was, of course, music titan Diddy Combs, who had been Usher's mentor in the 90s and early 2000s, and Bieber had spent some time with Combs over the years. Combs' wild party lifestyle has always been something of an open secret, with him often joking about it on daytime and late-night talk shows,

Starting point is 00:03:08 but in the last year or so, very, very different. More and more allegations have started to come out against Combs that are really no laughing matter. Civil lawsuits that made rape and extortion claims, rumors that celebrities could be involved in nefarious behavior with Combs behind closed doors, even claims by one man. that he had in his possession actual sex tapes featuring Combs and other celebrities. And as we know, Combs is currently on trial in the Southern District of New York on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by forced fraud or coercion, transportation to engage in prostitution. By the way, and as week one wraps up,

Starting point is 00:03:45 check out all of our Diddy coverage on Long Crimes YouTube channel. We've been breaking down all of the latest developments. So not only do we do daily recaps with our correspondent Elizabeth Milner, who's inside the courtroom, because there's not. no cameras there, but we've also been doing legal analysis with some of our favorite guests breaking down the big legal issues that are happening every day in that court, so make sure to go check it out. But one of the biggest rumors that has been hanging over the entire Diddy Saga was, and is, was Justin Bieber a victim of his alleged predatory and inappropriate behavior?

Starting point is 00:04:18 Well, I'll tell you what, now as week one of Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial comes to a close, Justin Bieber's camp is finally responding. So his representatives told TMZ, quote, although Justin is not among Sean Combs' victims, there are individuals who are genuinely harmed by him. Shifting focus away from this reality detracts from the justice these victims rightfully deserve. So to talk about this, I want to bring back on former federal prosecutor Nima Romani. Neema, so good to see you. Thanks so much for coming here on Sidebar. I want to talk about the timing of this. The timing of this statement from Justin Bieber's camp can't be just a coincidence. No, it can't be because one of the biggest questions in the Diddy trial is what

Starting point is 00:05:06 other celebrities will be named who participated in the freakoffs and who witnessed the freakoffs. I mean, Diddy's white parties are infamous. And one of the victims that people have been talking about for about a year and a half now has been Justin Bieber. And now finally, after week one to trial, when we know that Don Richard is the next witness and we're going to start hearing who the government thinks is going to help corroborate their case, and we are not going to hear from Justin Bieber.

Starting point is 00:05:34 And it really goes back to a video when he was about 15 years old when Combs said he was going to spend 48 hours with Justin Bieber. And that's when all the speculation began. Bebers Camp didn't say anything until now. But I think it's important that he did And he also, like many celebrities in Hollywood, want to stay as far away from the Diti trial as possible. Because you think that there was talk of him testifying, and he didn't, you know, he wanted to shut that down.

Starting point is 00:06:01 I think so. I think people want to know. Because look, the trial is lasting two months, right? Eight weeks, maybe even 10 weeks. And I know Judge Supermanian is trying to move it along as quickly as he can. But now that Cassie Ventura is wrapping up her testimony, we know that we're going to hear from a couple other victims. But the government needs to fill that time, and what they're going to do is put on victims that really aren't in a romantic relationship and never have been with Combs, right? Cassie got impeached with some of that, the emails, the text messages, the words that she put, those words of affirmation.

Starting point is 00:06:33 So to the extent that there are other victims, that's how the government's going to be able to overwhelm the defense here. And if it's a celebrity victim, even better. See, here's the thing. You know, I think about it. And I'm sure he didn't want to, I guess the idea is, you know, not distract from the conversation that's being had, but to make a statement towards the end of the week, after opening statements, after or towards the conclusion of Cassandra Ventura's testimony, when he makes a statement confirming that there were people harmed by Combs, does that signify to you that he believes the prosecution's case or does he think it's beyond the criminal case and based on the accusations we've seen in the civil arena? I think it's probably the former, and like you said, the key part of that statement was denying that he was a victim, but really talking about the other victims, and it wasn't alleged victims. He said other victims, or through his spokesperson. So I think that is very, very important.

Starting point is 00:07:33 This isn't a Michael Jackson type case where, you know, celebrities are rushing to Combs' defense. Very few people are. And the fact, they have someone come out that really isn't 50 cent or someone who, you know, is trying to make light of it or a documentary about it. and really point the finger at Diddy, that's a big deal, Jesse. And, yeah, I mean, he mentioned harmed by him, right? It was a very specific language that were genuinely harmed by him. And the shifting focus away from this reality distracts from the justice these victims rightfully deserved.

Starting point is 00:08:03 There's no way to parse that language. There isn't. And the defense is obviously trying to separate physical harm from sex trafficking and sexual assault. But, you know, the average person who's watching isn't going to be making that distinction. That may matter in the case, but it's not going to matter in the court of public opinion. And you know, Bieber's statement, it comes as this TikTok started floating around on Friday, there was a doctored image of Bieber where he allegedly announces that he's going to testify against Combs, but the video was quickly debunked as fake.

Starting point is 00:08:32 And NEMA, I mean, you think at the end of the day, are we going to see some celebrity or celebrity friends testify at this trial? I think we have to because there's got to be independent witnesses that, you know, saw some of this, right? I'm not saying maybe the actual freakoffs themselves, maybe there are other participants, but, you know, Combs was very public, and Cassie Ventura, to the extent that she was abused, it's like Johnny Depp and Amber Hurd, right?

Starting point is 00:09:01 You got Kate Moss was brought into that case. People that are rich and famous celebrities, they have rich and famous celebrity friends, right? That's why Blake Liveland, Justin Baldoni, we're talking about Taylor Swift. This is a small circle here in Hollywood. So the independent witnesses are very likely going to be other celebrities. So I think we're just starting to scratch the surface when it comes to that.

Starting point is 00:09:25 So the question becomes why do fans believe that Justin Bieber could have been one of Sean Combs' targets, right? You mentioned it before. Well, as the legal saga against Combs ramped up last year, there was video clips that started to resurface of Combs and Bieber spending some time together. And people noticed that the videos often kind of straddled the line. between awkward and inappropriate. And Bieber sometimes seemed really uncomfortable. For example, when Bieber was 15 years old, he uploaded a video to his YouTube channel called

Starting point is 00:09:56 48 hours with Diddy. And this is where he said he was going to be hanging out with the rapper for a couple of days. So check this out, yo. Justin, he's in, you ever seen the movie 48 hours? Right now, he's having 48 hours with Diddy, him and his boy. They're having the times of their lives, like, you know, where are we hanging out and what we're doing? We can't really disclose, but it's definitely a 15-year-old's dream. Now, some fans called out Crohn's for allegedly grooming behavior. They say was exhibited in this video, spending time at his home with a young kid who's suddenly been thrown into the world of fame and money, taking him under his wing,

Starting point is 00:10:35 offering up opportunities, maybe gifts that he could only dream of. Yeah, so as soon as you turn 16, you know what I'm saying? I'm going to let you rock this every time you're going to be off. So every time you're a little dusty, but you know, go get your front shot. Man. Hey, that out. A minute. Ooh.

Starting point is 00:10:58 Okay. Okay. All right, so I'm going to be driving this next year. Now, look, of course, this could all be for the camera, could be performative. Bieber could have left right after this. We don't really know, but the video made the rounds, speculation around Combs grew. and then another clip surfaced. And this one posted to Combs' YouTube page

Starting point is 00:11:17 showing another interaction, this time, apparently in a studio. What's up, man, you're good? I'm good. How are you doing? All right, young brother, everything's good. Selling out arenas and everything. Starting to act different, huh? No, you ain't been calling me and hanging out the way we used to hang out.

Starting point is 00:11:31 Well, I mean, you tried to get in contact with me, you know, through all my, you know, partners and whatnot. But you never really got my number, so. Okay. Yeah, yeah. I'll tell you my number. It's awkward. I don't know.

Starting point is 00:11:46 It could have been a joke for the cameras. Neema, what do you take away from these videos? Yeah, it's awkward and it's weird. So, you know, look, if it's just by itself, maybe you look past it. But there's been a lot of allegations involving minors. Not in the criminal case. That hasn't been charged. That would be a game change, but in the civil lawsuit.

Starting point is 00:12:04 So I'm not saying that those are true, but, you know, sometimes when there's smoke, there's fire. And you have a lot of these civil claimants alleging that Combs is also sexually abused. men and boys and children. So again, not charged in the criminal case, but given those allegations out there, I think it's something that people are going to pick up on and rumors and speculation are going to fly. So according to sources who spoke to TMZ, Bieber was actually friends with Combs' sons and that many of his past public appearances with Combs have been, quote, performative. So in 2015, Combs presented Bieber with an American Music Award for Best Collaboration,

Starting point is 00:12:44 and gave him a big hug on stage. And then in 2020, Beber did an interview with Apple Music. And in it, he expressed how he wishes he could protect other young artists like Billy Eilish from some of what he experienced in the music industry as a teenager. But he didn't really elaborate beyond that. And one of Bieber's most recent interactions with Combs was even more awkward than the prior ones, if that's possible. It reportedly took place in 2021. Nima, I want you to take a look at this with me. Okay. So in the video, Bieber with shaggy hair under a baseball cap, he greets Diddy, he's got a big smile on his face, but something seems just a little bit off about the whole thing, because Combe seems to pat

Starting point is 00:13:26 Bieber's chest. There are some who have speculated that he was making sure Bieber wasn't wearing a wire, even though there's no way to actually confirm that. Nima, what do you make of that he was patting him down. Just not something that you typically see. And again, it's just part of this real pattern of kind of strange conduct between combs and Bieber. So I understand why people are speculating that it's something more than just this innocent friendship. You know, in 2023, Beber had collaborated with Combs on the song, moments from Combs' last studio release. It's called The Love Album Off the Grid,

Starting point is 00:14:24 and it featured collaborations with a lot of different artists. Justin Bieber has had a lot of ups and downs over the years. We pretty much watched him grow up, and that meant that many of his mistakes and questionable decisions were fodder for the tabloids. You know, in fact, Long Crime, Sierra Gillespie actually put together a great episode on Bieber's latest struggles in the spotlight for our new channel scandal. I encourage everybody to go check it out. But there has been speculation that possible abuse in Bieber's past could be a source for some of his bad boy behavior and potential mental health problems in recent years. Now, Nima, that could be a stretch. Some could see it as a connection. Are you think there's something to that

Starting point is 00:15:02 or not? It could. You know, people are speculating, right? I mean, obviously I'm here in Hollywood and people will see Justin Bieber looking disheveled or losing weight. And, of course, the tabloids are going to jump to conclusions, right? Is it drugs? Is it relationship problems? Is it trauma from past sex abuse? And it's really impossible to know what, if anything, he's going through. But he does appear to be acting and looking differently as of late.

Starting point is 00:15:29 But some will say, you know, if he's making this comment now, and they're looking at his past interactions and making comments through the over the years, you know, about protecting young artists. This is a big question that a lot of celebrities have, and I'm not pointing the finger at anybody. But there are those who I'm sure will say, if celebrities knew something, why didn't they say something? And by the way, that came up with the Harvey Weinstein case, right? People allegedly knew rumors about his behaviors, but rumors one thing, how much do you definitively know? What do you say to that? Because again, we obviously don't know who knew what. I don't believe this trial is going to sort through any of that

Starting point is 00:16:09 whatsoever. I don't think we're going to be seeing big names either being named in this trial or even taking the stand. But what do you say to the argument somebody had to know something if these allegations are true? Look, I think it's a fair argument, Jesse. This seems like it was one of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood. How can you sexually abuse or assault people for a span of years or decades and people not know, especially when a lot of this happened in hotel rooms or with other people around. This is the same arguments people make with respect to Weinstein or Epstein or other abusers. This isn't your typical sexual assault that is behind closed doors without other people present.

Starting point is 00:16:52 That's one of the things that makes this case so unique. And look, there is going to be speculation and there is going to be rumors. That's what social media is all about. I mean, we saw some of them rumors dispelled this week when Cassie was saying, you know what, the baby oil didn't contain drugs. Even the government star witness is addressing some of these rumors on that witness stand. I'm not surprised Bieber and his reps are doing the same. Do you think a lot of eyeballs on Hollywood are on this trial? No question.

Starting point is 00:17:18 And I think people are afraid that they're going to be wrapped up in this because it can be a career killer. Even if the allegations are out there, right? If you knew something and you didn't say something, and there's a witness that gets on that stand, and look, maybe Cassie is prepped and she's just staying in her lane, but we don't know what the other witnesses are going to say. Just you and I've tried all sorts of cases, and witnesses can go off the rails, or there could be tangents or there could be allegations thrown out. One of the next victims, they say something about someone else.

Starting point is 00:17:48 It's going to be very damaging, not just in that courtroom, but outside the courtroom as well. If he gets convicted, do you think you're going to hear people speak out and say, this is what happened to me. Now I finally want to tell my story. Do you think that's a possibility? I do. I think, you know, there are people that probably are afraid of him. And if he is indeed locked up for the rest of his life, I think they will be more empowered to come forward, absolutely. Nima Romani, great seeing you. Thanks so much for coming here on Sidebar. Appreciate it. Of course, Justin, I want to say congratulations on all the success of Sidebar. You and your colleagues at Long Crime are killing it.

Starting point is 00:18:27 definitely check out Sierra's scandal as well. If you haven't, that's another great show. And by the way, we didn't pay Nima to say this. This is just out of the kindness of his heart. Nima, thank you so much. That's so kind. And really, thank you to everybody out there. Of course. Support. Really appreciate it. Like I said, I told Jesse out of camera, people come up to me fans of the show because they see me and they love Jesse. So excited to be on next week as well. Those are my cousins. So that's a for a question. But thanks so much. Good seeing you, Neuma. Thanks, Jesse. Talk soon. And that's all we have for you right now here on Sidebar, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube,

Starting point is 00:19:00 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you should get your podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next time.

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Law&Crime Sidebar - Justin Bieber Speaks Out About P. Diddy Sex Abuse Rumors

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