Justin Bieber skyrocketed to fame at a young age after mega-manager Scooter Braun stumbled upon YouTube clips of the Canadian crooner in 2008 and insisted he fly out to Atlanta to meet and collaborate with Usher.
Following the 2010 release of his debut studio album, “My World 2.0,” when he was just 16 years old, Bieber instantly became one of the most in-demand artists alive, with the album earning an abundance of accolades on and off the charts.
Of the myriad industry connections, Bieber began an elusive friendship with Sean “Diddy” Combs, a relationship that has only recently been picked on with a fine-toothed comb as fan speculation piques about Diddy’s interest in the “Baby” singer weeks after the disgraced music mogul was arrested and charged.
While Bieber has largely remained out of the spotlight since Diddy’s homes were raided in March followed by the subsequent indictment in September, clips of the pair have still resurfaced online by fans.
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Multiple videos of Diddy with the “Never Say Never” singer have gone viral since allegations against the Bad Boy Records founder were unsealed in a monthslong federal investigation, which resulted in his Sept. 16 arrest and charges for racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.
“Bieber’s silence about Diddy might be a sign that he is focusing on taking care of his mental health,” Dr. Jenn Mann, author of “The A to Z Guide to Raising Happy Confident Kids,” told Fox News Digital. “It also may be a sign that his attorneys have recommended that he not comment about the case, especially given the magnitude and severity of the allegations.”
She added, “In addition, he is a new father and is probably very focused on his baby son. Either way, this must be incredibly stressful for him.”
Justin and wife Hailey Bieber welcomed a son named Jack into the world in August. They celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary in September.
In one clip shared on Bieber’s YouTube channel in November 2009, Diddy showed the youngster a Lamborghini he planned to bestow on the “Sorry” singer once he turned 16.
“He’s having 48 hours with Diddy, him and his boy,” Combs said. “They’re having the times of their lives, like where we hanging out and what we’re doing we can’t really disclose. But it’s definitely a 15-year-old’s dream.”
Diddy added, “I have been given custody of him. You know, he’s signed to Usher and I had legal guardianship of Usher when he did his first album. I did Usher’s first album.”
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“Let’s go get some girls,” Bieber told Combs when asked what he wanted to do. “Man after my heart,” the rapper responded. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
The “Last Night” rapper told Jimmy Kimmel that he and Bieber had “become friends in a strange way” during a 2011 joint appearance on the late-night talk show. “I mean, to a lot of us, he’s like a little brother. You know what I’m saying? He’s not afraid to call and ask for advice. He’s somebody that, industry-wise, the record industry is a strong family,” Combs said.
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“He’s somebody that we definitely have our arms around, and we want to protect him because he’s genuinely such a nice person besides his talents. He’s one of the greatest kids you could ever know.”
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When Kimmel asked about the status of the Lamborghini, Combs was quick to respond, “Yeah, he had the Lamborghini for a day or two, and he had access to the house. And he knows better than to be talking about the things that he does with big brother Puff on national television.”
Fans also began listening to old Bieber songs in the wake of Diddy’s arrest. His 2020 hit, “Lonely,” is picking up steam once again and sold nearly 1,500 copies last week, according to Luminate. The track sold fewer than 100 copies the week before.
As for how Bieber should handle all the attention from fans?
“The strategy will entirely depend on what are the real facts with Diddy and is there this secret chamber of challenges he needs to deal with because of it,” brand expert Eric Schiffer says.
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“If nothing occurred, that can be messaged through his proxies to the media … that all of the stories are overblown, and there’s no truth to it,” Schiffer said.
Schiffer added, “If there are facts that suggest or facts that he’s concerned about, he’s not going to want to talk. He will want to be quiet because he may end up being a material witness, or be forced to be, and he may also have fears about his personal well-being in dealing with a serious individual like Diddy.”
