Justin Bieber denies accusations of 2014 sexual assault with Airbnb receipts
Over the past week, a number of men across various sectors of entertainment have come under fire with accusations of past assault, including Chris D’Elia and Ansel Elgort. Justin Bieber faced similar scrutiny when a woman going by Danielle came forward on Twitter with her own allegations of assault, which she claims occurred around the time of his surprise SXSW performance in 2014 when he was 20 years old (she was 21). In a set of now-deleted tweets, Danielle claimed that Bieber invited her and her friends to the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas on March 9, 2014 where he took her to another room and assaulted her.
Bieber responded to the allegations with a string of tweets where he not only categorically denies the assault, but also includes various documents meant to confirm both separate reservations and an alibi. “I wanted to speak out right away but out of respect to so many victims who deal with these issues daily I wanted to make sure I gathered the facts before I made any statement,” Bieber explained before stating that there is “no truth” to the woman’s story. “As her story told I did surprise a crowd in Austin at Sxsw where I appeared on stage with my then assistant side stage and sang a few songs. What this person did not know was that I attended that show with my then gf Selena Gomez.”
Bieber then goes on to include varies news clippings and pictures supporting Selena Gomez’s presence during that time:
The pop performer also provided a receipt for a reservation at an Airbnb under the alias “Mike Lowery”:
Bieber also took a moment to address a 2014 tweet from another SXSW attendee, who said at the time that she spotted the singer at the Four Seasons in question. Six years later, the Twitter user clarified that she spotted him at the restaurant, not the hotel itself. “Every claim of sexual abuse should be taken very seriously and this is why my response was needed,” he wrote. “However this story is factually impossible and that is why I will be working with twitter and authorities to take legal action.” As of now, Selena Gomez has not commented on her inclusion in Bieber’s defense.