Justin Beber has been accused of the attempted robbery of a cellphone. The LAPD is investigating. Two sources have now come forward to napalm that claim. One is an independent, eyewitness employee who told TMZ the singer didn’t lay a hand on his accuser — or her cellphone. The other is a Bieber source who spoke to ABC News and the New York Daily News.
Justin Bieber often moans about being falsely accused: Mariah Yeater, last May’s second paternity claim that came and went, the beached whale brouhaha and any number of so-called “source” quotes from outlets we’ll spare naming.
Now, it seems we can add attempted robbery to that motley list.
And lets face it, attempted robbery of a cellphone was an outlandish allegation for a kid who even got a lift climbing the Great Wall of China.
On Tuesday, LAPD spokeswoman, officer Rosario Herrera, told the The LA Times that “ He [Bieber] has been accused of attempted robbery,” adding that detectives interviewed the so-called victim on Tuesday night.
Bieber was accused by an unnamed, female of rifling through her bag/purse and taking her cellphone while they were at Sherman Oaks Castle Park in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles at around 10:30 pm on Monday, May 12.
The amusement park offers batting cages, miniature golf and an arcade.
The so-called alleged victim previously told TMZ Bieber took her phone to delete photos she may have taken of an alleged altercation his crew were allegedly having with some guys at a batting cage.
The woman alleged pantomine-like details — such as her and Bieber’s death grip wrestle for the cellphone, his allegedly imperious remark which allegedly prompted the accuser’s 13-year-old daughter to cry and a claim that the singer screamed King Joffrey-like at someone else.
All of which made for swamp coverage by most media outlets, most of which reported Bieber was guilty of the alleged attempted robbery on the basis of one version of events.
Such is the antipathy toward the singer.
However, during a Wednesday TMZ Live , a purported Castle Park employee (who sounded authentic) said it was the female accuser who aggressively taking pictures and wouldn’t stop when asked.
The female employee — who phoned into the show — confirmed Bieber was upset over the woman’s intrusiveness and asked her to “just stop, just stop” taking photos.
But it was stressed that at no point in time did Bieber touch the woman, reach for, go into her purse, or grab her phone.
The employee’s exact words were: “He [Bieber] never reached into her pocket, in her bag I mean, he never said anything about that.”
The eyewitness repeats at the end of her call that Bieber, “never touched her [the accuser], never reached into her bag, never nothing.”
She recalled one of Bieber’s bodyguards futilely told the woman to “just relax,” adding that the entire exchange took place before Bieber got into the batting cage.
As for the 13-year-old girl crying?
The employee claimed the girl cried because “She just wanted a picture with Justin Bieber and Justin Bieber was just… he didn’t want to at that moment. He didn’t want pictures with anybody. ”
What of the security guard who was pictured with Bieber?
Apparently that was simply the guard “meeting Justin Bieber” because he wanted to “shake his hand.”
ICYMI: Justin Bieber is being investigated by the LAPD for alleged attempted robbery http://t.co/YIHQmTlXfb pic.twitter.com/CA6CUT45Mo
— TMZ (@TMZ) May 14, 2014
( Photo: the Sherman Oaks Castle Park security guard wanted to ‘meet Justin Bieber.’ )
Adding to the eyewitness’ statement, a source close to Bieber told ABC News that the singer did nothing wrong in the incident.
“He was having fun with his friends, playing miniature golf and she [the victim] took a picture – he asked her to delete it,” the source said.
“The photo was deleted, so that’s the robbery. The deleted photo is the robbery ,” the insider added, seemingly drily.
A source also told The News ,
“There were a lot of different people taking Justin’s picture, which is totally normal. This just wasn’t a big deal, the woman didn’t stand out.”
“This is another example of someone making an issue where there isn’t one,” the confidant added.
Police have yet to interview the “ Heartbreaker ” singer, but told The News on Wednesday.
“The case remains under investigation with detectives conducting numerous interviews.”
( Photo: Bieber batting at Sherman Oaks Castle Park, Monday, May 12. )
It’s not that surprising how judgmental the majority of the “attempted robbery” reporting has been, given Bieber’s ongoing legal cases and recent infamy .
But it also has to be said that — notwithstanding a rough re-entry into the US from his Tokyo break and a skateboard stunt with a moving van twist — Bieber hasn’t transgressed any laws in recent weeks and appears to be focusing on church , music , pals and juggling models .
On Wednesday, the singer Bieber responded to the robbery accusations in a six-part Twitter message that linked to the TMZ Live article, urging fans and media not to “believe rumors.”
It seems a gossip site, of all things, has taught us all a lesson about presumption .
Something to remember the next time a too-juicy-to-be-true Bieber story hits the fan.
It is hard to defend myself and my privacy every moment of the day. Then to see rumors. The truth will set u free pic.twitter.com/tYFzKYlcrF
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) May 15, 2014
My mom raised me to be kind to others. I get judged, harassed, and I try to take the high road. Sometimes it isn’t easy. But we keep trying
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) May 15, 2014
I will continue to be the man my mother raised. I love people and I will try to be kind even when things are not fair. Don’t believe rumors
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) May 15, 2014