Justin Bieber reportedly remained calm in a second deposition on Thursday, despite being asked if he had “brain damage” and questioned over historically hot topic, girlfriend Selena Gomez, in a hearing for an ongoing civil lawsuit brought against him by a Miami photog.
The 20-year-old was deposed in Santa Monica, California, by paparazzo Jeffrey Binion’s attorney, Mark DiCowden.
That’s the lawyer who ran rings around a visibly freaked out and evasive Bieber for nearly five hours of probes at his first, now infamous deposition on March 6. Video excerpts went viral when leaked by TMZ just days later.
Bieber is being sued for unspecified damages in a civil assault and negligence lawsuit. He was judge-ordered to a second deposition back in July for refusing to answer questions on actress-singer Gomez, and giving a range of passive-aggressive to hostile responses back to widely scoped, goading from DiCowden.
At the time, Justin’s Los Angeles legal team told him to leave the conference room after he got upset when he was asked about the “Come & Get It” songstress.
Binion claims Bieber ordered his bodyguard, Hugo Hesny (Hesny is also being sued), and other security to confront him, after he was allegedly spotted taking pictures of the singer outside Miami’s The Hit Factory recording studio on June 5, 2013. He alleges Hesny held him in a choke hold and displayed a firearm while other bodyguards stole his camera and memory card to delete photos.
So, to cut to it, what happened at Bieber’s second deposition?
Gossip Extra reports the Canadian singer “behaved like a true, young gentleman” during his under oath grilling.
It is not stated in the outlet’s report if the deposition was videotaped. But if it was, it will be interesting to see whether video edits by whoever posts it first online reflect that reality.
At the brief, 30-minute hearing, Bieber reportedly confirmed he is dating Selena in front of half a dozen lawyers and clerks.
“As of today, what is your relationship with Selena Gomez ?” DiCowden asked the singer.
“We’re dating,” Bieber replied.
“You mean, you’re boyfriend-girlfriend?” the lawyer pressed.
“We are,” Justin confirmed.
Gossip Extra , which has stayed remarkably close to the Binion case, unnecessarily notes that a source said of the “Baby” singer’s long T-Shirt and leggings, “He looked like he was wearing a dress.”
What is another observer’s view – and no doubt, much older – of Bieber’s clothes relevant to, exactly?
( Photo: The couple have dated on and off for four years and reportedly reunited in August, although it become apparent after their first split in November 2012 that they have more or less always remained connected in some way .)
The “brain damage” question reportedly arose at the second deposition, after Bieber said he didn’t recall anything about the alleged incident with Binion outside the Miami recording studio last June.
The calm exchange between the singer and DiCowden was reportedly as follows:
“Do you have brain damage?” the opposing counsel asked.
“I don’t,” Bieber replied, without emotion or inflection.
DiCowden persisted, asking, “Have you been diagnosed with a neurological condition that would prevent you from remembering?”
“No,” the singer answered.
At that point, the Biebs reportedly explained how he perceives his brain works.
Doubtless, his answers will become a whipping stool to ridicule a non-formally educated youngster. But, for what it’s worth, Bieber said he controls “what goes into his brain,” and what comes out.
He reportedly added that he focuses on remembering lyrics, music, and dance moves, and anything else is quickly forgotten. Given Bieber’s widely acknowledged marijuana use, it’s possible he does feel he has a limited attention span for non-musical matters.
Throughout the Binion case, DiCowden has been open about the fact he is trying to prove Bieber and his bodyguards routinely “abuse” paparazzi .
Some might counter Justin – and Selena too, for that matter – could say the same.
( Video: Bieber and Gomez being swarmed by paparazzi at his 17th birthday party in Los Angeles in 2011, and since .)
DiCowden previously told media outlets he intends to depose Gomez in the Binion lawsuit, to ask her about what she knows of a particular alleged incident and other questions.
The starlet was with Justin during an alleged May 2012 incident in which paparazzo Jose Osmin Hernandez Duran alleges he was punched and kicked by Bieber in a parking lot at The Commons shopping mall in Calabasas, California, after allegedly taking photos of the couple during a date and not stopping when asked.
In November that year, Los Angeles County District Attorney prosecutors declined to bring charges against Bieber, citing a lack of physical evidence of an attack based upon photos, videos, and testimony by medics and police called to the scene and at the hospital Duran was taken to.
Fast forward to July 2014, Gomez stated she had no new information in a non-videotaped deposition for Duran’s subsequent civil lawsuit against Bieber.
Since Duran and Binion’s actions were launched, numerous lawsuits against Bieber have been filed over incidents allegedly involving him, his security , paparazzi — and sometimes civilians .
The most recent incident was during an intended private break Justin took with Selena in Canada, after arriving in Ontario via private jet on August 27.
Just two days afterwards, the couple were involved in a collision between an ATV Bieber was driving and a minivan occupied by paparazzi. The Ontario Provincial Police allege an altercation then kicked off between Justin and one of the two photogs.
Bieber was later arrested and charged with dangerous driving and assault when he turned himself in at an Ontario police station on Monday, September 1.
However, TMZ reported on September 2 that sources in Bieber’s camp claim no physical altercation or assault ever took place. The insiders say the two photogs stayed in the van taking photos of the couple, and were in fact trespassing on land owned by Justin’s father, Jeremy.
Bieber’s second deposition is done and dusted, but the Binion lawsuit continues.
Like everything else in the scrutinized singer’s life, it has attracted mostly presumptuous, contemptuous media reporting.
( Photo: Bieber and Gomez were snapped riding an ATV near his hometown of Stratford, Ontario on August 29 by two paparazzi, who pursued them to take photos of the couple for commercial gain and use. )
[ Images via PacificCoastNewsOnline . ]