Justin Bieber stormed out of a videotaped deposition hearing in Miami on Thursday, after he was repeatedly grilled over his ex- girlfriend, actress-singer Selena Gomez.
The 20-year-old was court ordered to attend the hearing following the filing of a civil assault lawsuit in Miami-Dade circuit by paparazzo Jeffrey Binion, who is suing Bieber and one of his bodyguards.
Binion alleges Justin ordered his bodyguards to confront him after he was spotted snapping the star outside Miami’s Hit Factory recording studio on June 5, 2013. The photog claims he was then assaulted, had his camera and memory card taken, and threatened with a gun by one bodyguard — Hugo Hesny.
Multiple reports indicate the hearing was difficult already for Bieber, but tensions escalated once the Latina was mentioned.
During the six hour deposition Bieber was questioned by Binion’s lawyer, Mark DiCowden, about previous clashes with paparazzi which allegedly involve him and his bodyguards.
These questions and even simple ones in which Bieber was asked to confirm his manager’s identity, countries he had visited during his Believe tour, names of members of his crew, or whether his guards worked directly for him were reportedly met with evasive, snarky, or non-responsive replies in between frequent breaks in the session, sometimes as often as every 15 minutes.
( Photo: Seen riding Segways on January 2, 2014, Bieber posted an Instagram of the pair on January 4. It was captioned “Love the way you look at me.” )
Bieber reportedly stormed out of the court hearing when a Gomez line of questioning began.
TMZ claims the singer screamed, “Don’t ask me about her, do not ask me about her!” to DiCowden before walking out.
However, a slightly less Sunset Beach version of the same moment is reported by E! News and People magazine.
“This was a hot button topic and he flipped out. He didn’t answer and left the room,” a source told People .”His [Bieber’s] lawyers said this was harassment and advised him not to answer.”
Meanwhile Miami Herald , citing a source, reports,
“When Bieber was asked a question about Selena Gomez, he threw a tantrum, ripping the microphone off, jumping up from his seat and running out of the room. A recess was called and, 15 minutes later, Biebs came back refusing to answer any questions about his ex.”
To be fair to the singer, on the day of deposition Miami-Dade prosecutors also released the last two jail videos showing his urine drugs test at Miami Beach police station shortly after his January 23 arrest on suspicion of DUI and related charges. That’s enough to stress anyone.
Bieber reportedly returned to the conference room about 15 minutes later.
TMZ allege further verbal volleys followed, with Bieber allegedly answered one probe, saying, ”Yeah.’”
To which DiCowden asked, ”Do you mean yes?”
Bieber allegedly replied,”What the f**k is the difference between yeah and yes?!”
At one point, Justin allegedly asked, ”What is this, ’60 Minutes?’” later allegedly firing, ”OK Katie Couric, what’s your question again?”
Bieber was also asked, under oath, if he had taken legal or illegal drugs in the last 24 hours or drank alcohol in the last 12.
The singer reportedly replied, “No!”
Bieber testified in the downtown Miami offices of Roy Black — lead attorney in his ongoing DUI case, who sat in on the hearing — as an alternative to another location already staked out by press, Gossip Extra reports.
(Photo: Bieber via Instagram)
As well as theming much, if not all, of his last album Journals on Gomez, Justin reached out to Selena by tweeting a declaration of his appreciation on Monday alongside two images of the 21-year-old at Vanity Fair’s Oscar after party.
The Canadian captioned the Instagram, “Most elegant princess in the world.”
Gomez has yet to respond publicly. Given the extraordinary lengths her team went to citing “letting go” of Bieber as part of the reason for her rehab stint in January, it’s remains to be seen if one will be forthcoming. Gossip reports claim Selena was less than impressed with the gesture.
Update: But, it seems those reports were totally wrong.
Gomez and Bieber were spotted grabbing breakfast and at various spots in McAllen, Texas on Friday, and it’s now widely reported they have reunited after Justin jetted to Selena’s side from Miami on Friday. Gomez is performing in Hidalgo, Saturday.
As to whether DiCowden or any other lawyer will take note of Bieber’s latest exposing of his Achilles Heel and attempt to use it against him; the answer is self-evident.