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Justin Bieber: Paps, Cats, And Security Video Gaps

By Page Mackinley
Published on: 04:54 PST, Jun 18, 2013

Justin Bieber’s life, a molten mix of paparazzo dodging, supercar driving, touring and, of late, police investigations — now has a cat in it. More on that below.

So, to the first of these. The latest frenzied event to assail the 19-year-old took place at around 11:45 pm on Monday night when the singer struck a paparazzo with his white Ferrari outside the Laugh Factory on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.

The LAPD’s Lt. Craig Valenzuela said Bieber was not cited or arrested and that after a preliminary investigation it was determined that no crime had been committed.

Less than 24 hours after TMZ reported Bieber was being investigated over an alleged hit and run of a paparazzo — otherwise known as guys with cameras that swarm celebrities as they exit clubs, airports, or anywhere — the singer was in the clear.

The reason? The fact that the said paparazzo was standing in the road, along with a scrum of other photogs, even as the pop star motioned [to the] and a security guy asked the paps to clear a path so the teenager could pull his car out.

Following the incident, the photographer went to a local hospital with what police described as a [non] life-threatening injury and the incident has been put down to the fault of the pap “for being a pedestrian in the roadway.”

On a less ridiculous note and in another investigation, L.A. County Sheriff’s officials have said a security video that shows Bieber riding a motorcycle behind his Ferrari on the day of an alleged reckless driving incident, does not clear the singer of speeding allegations.

The pop star’s legal team turned over a security video that contained footage recorded outside the singer’s Calabasas, Calif., home, in order to clear Bieber of accusations that he sped his white Ferrari through his gated neighborhood over Memorial Day weekend.

From the Los Angeles Times:

“Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officials say the video shows the Ferrari in the driveway with another driver and Bieber getting off a motorcycle, then getting into the sports car and parking it. The video reveals nothing about the car’s drive around the neighborhood, authorities said.”

“Shortly after Bieber entered the garage, former USC and NFL star Keyshawn Johnson arrived to confront Bieber for allegedly speeding in local streets with children present.”

Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said the security footage does not reveal what took place on the road outside the singer’s house, adding that the district attorney’s office will make the decision on whether to file a reckless driving charge against Bieber.

The latest police statement follows a public admission by the rapper Tyler, The Creator, that he was driving the Ferrari. However, Whitmore said an eyewitness saw Bieber in the driver’s seat while speeding.

IQ notes:

1:The key questions are at what point in the journey the witnesses[s] claim they saw Bieber behind the wheel, and how clearly,given the “up to 100 mph” speeds it’s claimed the Ferrari was traveling at.

2: Given that Johnson himself previously dismissed the idea that Bieber switched seats with Tyler [Gregory Okonma] in the driveway, why is it now likely that the Canadian switched transports with Okonma at some point in the journey to his house?

In an exclusive area like Calabasas it’s likely most, if not all, the residences will have security cameras installed. If such a switch took place, time will tell if one of the cameras along the Ferrari’s route filmed it.

3: Okonma has stated that he was behind the wheel of the Ferrari in what is now a highly scrutinized case. Officials will have to decide if it seems probable that he would falsely admit to a liability that will likely incur the full weight of the law being brought against him.

4: Stating that the security video doesn’t reveal the whole of the Ferrari’s journey is not evidence that the car was driven by Bieber, but an observation that the footage is localized and limited.

5: The onus of proving that Bieber got out of the driver’s seat of his Ferrari then rode his motorcycle onto his driveway, lies with L.A. police authorities.

The D.A’s office will make a decision after weighing the concerns of Calabasas’ residents — who have expressed complaints about the pop star’s driving in the community and his friends who use his cars — witness statements, Bieber’s denial that he was driving his Ferrari, and Okonma’s public declaration that he was.


And so, to Bieber’s cat. And if anyone needs one, he does. A recent addition to the singer’s household, the feline is called Tuts. Like any self-respecting adored pet of a superstar, Tuts now has a Twitter account.

Enjoy these early days of Tut’s fame-naïveté. Ahead lie possible endorsements, her own cat fashion line, a “meow” show — maybe late night, they’re not sure yet — and, of course, a personal fragrance. Musk?

First introduced to her owner’s social media kingdom on May 22 via Instagram, Tuts is just the latest in a line of Bieber’s non-verbal companions. Predecessors include, Sammy the dog, Johnson the snake, the late Pac the hamster, and the still very much alive Mally the monkey.

Presented on Twitter on May 27, Tuts opening line read:”cats with twitter are cool.” After picking up seven followers in five minutes, Tuts now has 1,746 and will probably have more by the time you reach the end of this.

Tuts, naturally, is friends with Bieber’s human playmates — Tyler, The Creator, Terrence Reche (I don’t know either), but would probably reserve her best low growls for Taylor Swift.

Some of Tuts’ best lines on Twitter follow:

The high life:

Blast from the past:

Insider joke:

A riff on ‘The Fly’:

What virtual hats are made for:

The “Skynet” moment:

No snark. This is just sweet:

Epic evil:

Rebellion:

Blurred lines:

And so on. Meanwhile, back in the real world, where cats don’t talk and certainly not on Twitter, Bieber labors on against a tide of ever-fluxing media reporting that varies in quality and veracity. Perhaps Tuts said it best.

[Image via The Daily Herald]

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