Justin Bieber drops lawsuit against Twitter users who accused him of sexual assault
Justin Bieber has dropped the lawsuit that he filed against two social media users who accused him on Twitter of sexual assault.
Attorneys for the “Yummy” and “Peaches” singer requested a dismissal of the 2020 defamation lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court last week, according to court documents reviewed by The Times.
The request was made with prejudice for all parties and all causes of action, meaning Bieber cannot refile the same claim against the two Jane Does mentioned in the lawsuit.
The documents did not indicate whether they had agreed on a settlement.
“Justin has decided to move on and dismiss the case for defamation filed in 2020,” his attorney, Evan Spiegel, of Lavely & Sanger PC, told The Times on Wednesday.
Singer Justin Bieber has filed a $20-million defamation lawsuit against two Twitter accounts that accused him of sexual assault in 2014 and 2015.
The 28-year-old pop sensation filed the $20-million suit in June 2020 seeking $10 million from each defendant who alleged that he assaulted them, one in 2014 and the other in 2015. He claimed the testimonies they posed on Twitter were “outrageous lies” that are “probably fabricated” and “factually impossible.”
The Jane Does were identified as Danielle and Kadi in the lawsuit based on the Twitter handles they used to make the allegations. Later, Kadi was revealed to be Khadidja Djibrine, and she represented herself in the case. She and Bieber’s attorneys attempted mediation last month, but it was unsuccessful and the case was tentatively set for trial in May.
Djibrine did not immediately respond Wednesday to The Times’ request for comment.
The “Baby” singer’s legal team said he has “indisputable documentary evidence” that the social media users made up their stories. The complaint, filed by heavy-hitting celebrity attorney Martin Singer, said Bieber turned to legal action “to clear his name and set the record straight.”
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Bieber also commented about the case on Twitter around the time it was filed, saying that he has “dealt with random accusations” throughout his career but felt that he needed to speak up about the issue this time around.
“Rumors are rumors but sexual abuse is something I don’t take lightly. I wanted to speak out right away but out of respect to so many victims who deal with these issues daily I wanted to make sure I gathered the facts before I made any statement,” he wrote in June 2020.
He also posted a series of tweets that included images, news articles and explanations about his whereabouts during the alleged incidents to show that he was elsewhere at those times.
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