Justin Bieber Forced Into Second Deposition Grilling On Gomez? Oy Vey
Justin Bieber’s infamous four-and-a-half-hour deposition could be getting a sequel, in which he would only be questioned about Selena Gomez.
The attorney who deposed Bieber on March 6 in a civil assault lawsuit filed by photographer Jeffrey Binion — who alleges the pop singer ordered his bodyguards to attack him — filed a motion Wednesday asking a judge to order the star to another deposition within 30 days to answer questions about his on-off girlfriend.
As most of the Internet is aware, the 20-year-old refused to answer attorney Mark DiCowden questions about the actress-singer, and instead repeatedly told the opposing counsel, “Don’t ask me about her again.”
At that point Bieber’s lawyers raised objections on grounds of relevancy and harassment and advised the singer to take a 15 minute break.
According to The Associated Press, DiCowden filed a separate motion stating Bieber’s attorneys incorrectly prevented him from asking about Gomez.
The attorney has asked Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel to ban both Bieber’s lawyers Howard Weitzman and Jeremiah Reynolds from representing the star at a potential second deposition and the Binion lawsuit itself, on grounds they were obstructive.
TMZ reported Friday that DiCowden’s motion stated reasons he believes he has grounds to ask Bieber about Gomez. The Disney alum was present during a May 2012 incident in which paparazzo Jose Osmin Hernandez Duran claimed he was assaulted by Bieber. It’s likely the attorney is correctly trying to establish if Bieber has a history of violence towards paparazzi.
Duran has since filed a civil assault and battery case in June 2013 and is seeking damages from Bieber.
IQ notes questions about paparazzi aggression toward Bieber are noticeably absent from the conversation about his deposition.
The celebrity gossip site added, DiCowden wants to show Bieber and Selena are close in case she attempts to undermine the May 2012 incident at a later deposition. If it’s on record that she and Bieber have or are dating, it could be argued Gomez is a biased, non-credible witness.
The two stars were photographed together in McAllen, Texas on March 7, when Bieber jetted to his on-off girlfriend’s side just one day after his Miami deposition and were seen hugging and kissing at a restaurant and other local spots, People reports.
Although we’re all aware what can be done with clever editing, and in fact there are clips of the now viral deposition that show Bieber answering some questions calmly and politely [see clip below], nevertheless in extracts first posted by TMZ the singer is seen evading, winking, arguing, smirking, and deliberately nitpicking with DiCowden.
In one segment, Bieber is seen confusing the word “detrimental” with “instrumental” as he tries to describe the effect of YouTube on his career start.
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[Longer deposition video shows Bieber answering questions calmly and apologizing to a court reporter he swore at.]
Bieber’s legal team reportedly contend TMZ ‘s initial deposition clips were chosen to present the star in a poor light and claim the leak is a “set up” that may have been paid for, Page Six reports.
DiCowden expressly denied any accusations of payment or other impropriety in a Thursday airing of Inside Edition.
Binion’s legal team is led by attorney Russell S. Adler — a former partner in Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein’s law firm, previously suspended for three months by the bar association in December 2013.
DiCowden is reportedly also talking informally to Gomez’s lawyers about deposing her for the Binion lawsuit.
According to Gossip Extra, the attorney is fully prepared to subpoena the 21-year-old starlet to a deposition if those talks break down.
Following ridicule and criticism of his deposition — Bieber’s lawyers have said the released videos only show the singer after hours of repeat questioning — the star later took to Twitter to defend himself.
Love how some people love to twist and justify the horrible action of others. We all have a right to defend ourselves and feel harassed
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) March 10, 2014
They can’t break us. They can’t get us down. We are too strong. We love too much. #mybeliebers — Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) March 10, 2014
