Everyone Saw, No One Stopped It: The Industry’s Exploitation of Justin Bieber

Discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun at just 14 years old, Justin Bieber’s rise to fame was astronomical. He was quickly taken under the wing of high profile musicians such as Usher, Miley Cyrus, Drake, and…P Diddy. As Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial overtakes the media, his past relationship with the then young popstar has resurfaced, with many suspecting Bieber as a victim. In the midst of all the speculation, Justin Bieber’s rep has officially stated that “Justin is not among Sean Combs’ victims”. Despite the statement, the public still has suspicions. While we may never know the truth regarding Justin’s past with Diddy, there are many other proven instances of Justin Bieber being exploited and sexually harassed by the entertainment industry as a young teen that continue to be overlooked. Hollywood has failed Justin Bieber time and time again – we all bore witness to it…why didn’t anyone stop it?

Starting fifteen years ago in 2010, is Justin’s featured segment on the Scott Fox & Z103.5 Morning Show, detailing an interview between Justin and a female reporter, Shannon Murphy, during the 2010 Grammy Awards. The reporter’s questions to 15 year old Bieber became increasingly direct and of a sexual nature – the dialogue is as follows:
Shannon: “Has your mom given you the sex talk yet?”
Justin: “I mean, like, I really, like, don’t want to have that conversation with my mother. I’ve kinda had it with my father.”
Shannon: “Oh really? See, my parents never gave me the sex talk.”
Justin: “Okay…”
Shannon: “So, when are you giving me the sex talk?”
Justin: “I don’t really…I feel uncomfortable right now. Why do you want to know the sex talk from a 15 year old boy? That’s pretty weird. Let’s talk about the album.”

Later in 2010, Justin went on the Graham Norton Show a few months after his sixteenth birthday, alongside Jack Black, John Waters and Miranda Hart. As per usual, one segment of the interview questioned Justin on his relationship status and preferred ‘type’ of girl. As Justin is saying that he would like someone with a nice and funny personality, Miranda Hart, who was 38 at the time, waves at him and seductively whispers “Hi, Justin”, to which 16 year old Bieber responds “I’m into girls that are like…kinda closer to my age”. Hart then pretends to be offended, claiming “she is 22” – which would still be six years Justin’s senior, and a grown adult flirting with a minor.

In June of 2011, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj announced the winner of ‘Best Male Hip-Hop’ at the BET Awards. What should have been a celebratory moment quickly became predatory based on comments from Minaj. In a ‘battle’ between ‘Team Barbie’ and ‘Team Bieber’, the two verbally try and intimidate one another. Justin states how “he is all grown up now” and will be turning 18 the following year. To this, Minaj asks Justin if he drives, followed by “Can you handle curves?” while suggestively angling her body to show off her figure. Nicki Minaj was 28 years old at the time.

Also in 2011, Justin appeared on The Talk, where he was interviewed by a group of five middle-aged women. Again, the interview quickly becomes inappropriate when the topic shifts to marriage and Justin specifically states that he is 17 years old, and not ready to think about these topics. Still, the women push on, with one of them introducing the game “Would You Rather”:
The Talk Interviewer: “Would you rather have to be naked on stage during one full song or drink a cup of blended worms?…Answer Justin Bieber.”
Justin: “I have like little girl fans, I can’t…”
The Talk Interviewer: “Imagine that wasn’t a problem, imagine there was no laws and imagine it wasn’t, like, weird like that.”
Justin: “I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t do either.”
The Talk Interviewer: “You have to pick Justin Bieber!”
Justin: “Uhhh, I plead the fifth!”
Further into the interview, the same woman threatens to “squeeze Justin’s face”, moving towards him to do just that. Justin cowers back while shielding himself, saying “No, no!”. Additionally, the interview ends with the question “If you had to date one of us five – had to – who would it be?”. One woman tries to crawl over the others to get to Justin, another starts to explain how “cool” she is, while a third shows Justin her outfit. These are grown women, vying for a 17 year old’s approval and attention, while forcing him to answer questions that he explicitly stated to be uncomfortable.

Finally, in 2012, only a few months after his eighteenth birthday, Justin Bieber won ‘Artist of the Year’ at the American Music Awards. The award was presented by Luke Bryan and Jenny McCarthy. As Justin went on stage to receive the award and give his speech, Jenny grabs Justin around the neck in a chokehold and kisses his cheek. She then proceeds to grab his butt. When Justin gets to the microphone, the first thing he says is “Wow, I feel violated right now”. The crowd only laughs. In a backstage interview, 40 year old Jenny McCarthy is questioned about the incident. She states “I did grab his butt. I’m single. But I think that’s cougar rape… I gave him a kiss, there was a lot of lipstick, and my partner Luke said to wipe it off, and I was like, no asshole, I did that for a reason. So he’d remember me. I couldn’t help it, he was just so delicious, so little. I want to tear his head off and eat it”.

As one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 150 million units sold worldwide, 2 Grammys, 26 Billboard Music Awards, and 18 American Music Awards, Justin Bieber has long since been a household name. But how many people were aware of the previously described scenarios? It is obvious that Bieber has been continuously exploited and harassed in the music industry. All of these events took place in public settings, often with other adults in proximity – why did no one interfere? He often explicitly stated his young age or expressed his discomfort, only to be ignored or laughed at by all. Why is Justin’s story not in the spotlight like other celebrities in similar situations, such as Britney Spears and Brooke Shields. Can it be reflected on his gender? His parents? Regardless, Hollywood is most definitely a world of exploitation, sexualization, intense pressure, and long-term psychological harm for almost all child stars.