Justin Bieber has fiercely rejected recent reports alleging he is broke, with a statement from his team released on Wednesday.
Representatives for the 31-year-old pop star labeled the claims as “clickbait stupidity,” originating from unreliable sources who are “disappointed they no longer work with Justin.”
The statement came in response to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, which featured a claim from a former employee on Bieber’s team stating the singer was millions of dollars in debt after canceling his Justice World Tour following several postponements due to health concerns.
In a statement to Us Weekly regarding the story, Bieber’s team strongly denied the allegations.
“This is nothing but clickbait nonsense fueled by unnamed and clearly misinformed ‘sources,’ who are upset that they no longer work with Justin,” the statement read.
“As Justin moves forward on his own path, these unnecessary stories and false assumptions will persist. However, they won’t stop him from remaining focused on staying true to the right direction,” the statement read.
“Any source attempting to sell a story about alleged financial hardship either doesn’t understand the entertainment industry or, more likely, is trying to craft a misleading image of Justin that is far from the truth,” Bieber’s team also told THR.
The statement was included in THR’s article titled Justin Bieber’s Crisis of Faith?
In the report, a source claimed that Bieber’s February 2023 announcement to cancel the remaining tour dates sparked a series of financial repercussions that continue to affect him. The tour, initially set for 2020, was delayed due to the pandemic and later postponed again in 2022 after Bieber was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, causing facial paralysis.
In March 2023, Bieber canceled the rest of the tour indefinitely.
The article also suggested that Bieber not only faced financial struggles but was in debt to the tune of about $20 million to tour promoter AEG, following the cancellation of his tour. Insiders claimed he had received a $40 million advance before the tour began.
“To date, Bieber has only repaid a portion of what he borrowed,” the article asserted, with multiple sources describing him as “financially overstretched.”
The statement was issued in response to a Hollywood Reporter article published on Wednesday, in which a former member of Bieber’s team claimed the star was millions of dollars in debt after canceling his Justice World Tour following multiple postponements due to health issues; pictured in November 2022.
In THR’s report, a source claimed that Bieber’s announcement in February 2023 to cancel the remaining tour dates “triggered a series of financial repercussions that continue to affect the artist today”; pictured in January.
The article also claimed that Bieber was not only broke but also in “significant debt” — around $20 million, according to their insiders — to tour promoter AEG following the cancellation of his tour.
This comes two years after Bieber made headlines by selling his entire music catalog for $200 million.
The outlet reported that the initial deal was for $140 million with the rumored buyer, Hipgnosis Songs Capital, but Bieber’s team, which included his former manager Scooter Braun, successfully negotiated the offer up to $200 million.
Sources told the outlet that his team hoped the larger sum would provide the singer with “financial security” for a longer period.
The controversial profile emerges amidst ongoing speculation regarding the singer’s health and marriage, with fans expressing concern for his well-being.
Recently, Bieber fueled rumors when he “accidentally” unfollowed his wife, Hailey Bieber, on Instagram.
He also sparked widespread concern after fans noticed he severed his business relationship with Scooter Braun, unfollowing his former manager, and distanced himself from his fashion brand, Drew House, which he co-founded with his former stylist, Ryan Good.
A representative for Bieber stated in a February statement to TMZ that he had “ended several close friendships and business relationships that no longer served him,” adding that the past year has been “very transformative” since the birth of his son, Jack Blues, last August, with his wife of six years.
