Mom Suing Justin Bieber for Hearing Loss Gets Roasted on Twitter
The Oregon mom suing pop idol Justin Bieber for permanent hearing damage is getting quite an earful from fans of the teenage star on the internet.
As reported yesterday by our own James Johnson, Stacey Wilson Betts, a mother of five, took her daughter to a Bieber concert on July 14, 2010, expecting to see a good show. Instead, Betts claims her hearing was permanently damaged at the event when the teen heartthrob worked his already fervent “Beliebers” into an ear splitting “frenzy of screams.”
The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Oregon, claims the singer “enticed the crowd” by waving his arms in an upward motion while riding over them in a heart-shaped gondola.
“The gondola that Justin Bieber was suspended in acted as a sound conductor, creating a sound blast that permanently damaged both of my ears,” Betts says, adding that Bieber and co-defendants Island Def Jam Records, promoter AEG Worldwide and venue owner, Vulcan Sports Entertainment displayed “negligence” by allegedly failing to “maintain safe decibels at all times during their events.”
Betts says her “quality of life” has been “permanently reduced in addition to the injury.” She is suing for $9.2 million for “expenses, pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, severe tinnitus, hyperacusis and permanent disability and impairment” to both of her ears.”
In response to Betts’ lawsuit, swarms of Bieber fans have taken to the net to air their opinions on the matter.
While some expressed sympathy for Betts’ injury, the majority of “beliebers” pointed out the obvious — concerts are loud.
One Twitter user, @bieberarmy wrote:
Don’t go to a Bieber concert and not expect it to be loud. It clearly didn’t affect the other thousands of ppl there. bit.ly/Nt1eKg
— Justin Bieber Army (@bieberarmy) July 13, 2012
Fresnobullpup, a TMZ commenter, added:
“What did she think would happen at a concert with several thousand screaming kids? I work at a venue that hosts shows just like this, there are these neat little things that I wear called ear plugs – they cost almost nothing and keep your hearing healthy (and also keep you from going insane listening to crowds like this).”
Other fans of the Biebs began referring to Betts as Mariah Yeater 2.0, a reference to the 20-year-old woman who claimed Bieber fathered her child in 2011.
@Bieberbucks tweeted:
You’re suing Justin for 9 million cuz his concert was too loud? Is there any silent concert then? Are you Mariah Yeater 2.0? Oh gosh.
— Bieberbucks (@Bieberbucks) July 13, 2012
TMZ writes that Justin Bieber — who has sold more than 15 million albums around the world — has so far declined to comment on the lawsuit.
What are your thoughts on Betts’ lawsuit against Bieber? Should the Oregon mom be held responsible for her hearing injury or is Justin to blame?
