On the 4th of January, 2013, Justin Bieber’s public image changed drastically when TMZ published photos of Bieber smoking what appeared to be marijuana. Said images were taken the day after Chris Guerra was killed – the paparazzo that died while chasing Bieber’s Ferrari. After the images leaked, Bieber officially apologized on Twitter to all of his fans, and continued living his life as a self-entitled brat with zero empathy and sympathy. According to an Us Weekly report, Bieber’s teams of handlers and lion tamers weren’t “happy about those photos” and that they are “grilling security about who could have taken them.” Hey, if you’re more famous than Buddha, anyone could have a grudge against you…
However, Bieber did officially express his condolences after the paparazzo was killed. (It’s not all bad, you know?) In his maudlin statement he wrote, “While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim.” Correct us if we’re wrong – and we’re not trying to be hard on the dude – but if your thoughts and prayers are with the family of someone, you don’t pretend like nothing happened. It’s not Bieber’s fault that the paparazzo was tragically killed, and no one is blaming him for anything, but perhaps a touch of sensitivity would have made the world’s difference. Also, it’s not a very wise idea to be pictured smoking weed when you were already accused of being high as a kite the previous day.
Bieber’s public image is slowly being blemished by scandal and drama. He might not lose his fan base – Beliebers are obsessed – but he will definitely suffer from post-marijuana fallout. Celebrity happens in cycles – for years you are at the top of your game and then bam; you’re gone. This could be Bieber’s “celebrity dip” and could see him fall into a pit of stereotypical “pop star” adages.
Time to pull up your socks, boy!
Photo Credit: FameFlynet