Justin Bieber has broken his silence amid speculation circulating online that he was a victim of Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The rapper is currently facing federal sex trafficking charges in New York.
In a statement to TMZ, a representative for Bieber addressed the online commentary and said: “Although Justin is not among Sean Combs’ victims, there are individuals who were genuinely harmed by him.”
They added: “Shifting focus away from this reality detracts from the justice these victims rightfully deserve.”
Bieber’s comments follow renewed scrutiny of his relationship with Combs after old footage of the pair from Bieber’s teenage years resurfaced online.
One clip from a 2011 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! shows Combs saying: “He knows better than to be talking about things that he does with Big Brother Puff on national television.”
Another video from 2009, when Bieber was 15, sees the pair outside a house, with Combs telling him: “As soon as you turn 16, I'm gonna let you rock this car.”
He added: “For the next 48 hours, he's with me and we're gonna go buck full crazy,” while declining to disclose their location, calling it a “15-year-old’s dream.”
Sources close to Bieber told the outlet that those appearances were “performative,” and that he had no personal relationship with Combs beyond knowing his sons.
The sources also stressed that Bieber was never sexually or otherwise abused by the rapper.
The statement comes as Combs faces serious allegations from multiple accusers.
On Thursday, his former girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, was cross-examined in a New York court following explosive testimony accusing Combs of rape, blackmail, and physical abuse.
Ventura has described being pressured into so-called “freak offs”, sex parties allegedly arranged by Combs, often involving drugs and coercion.
The 38-year-old, who is in the third trimester of pregnancy with her third child, said the drug-fuelled "freak-offs" would last hours and even days, with her sometimes taking IV fluids to recover and eventually developing an opioid addiction because it made her "feel numb" afterwards.
Cassie sued Combs in 2023, accusing him of years of physical and sexual abuse.
Within hours, the suit was settled for 20 million dollars (£15 million) - a figure Cassie disclosed for the first time on Wednesday - but dozens of similar legal claims followed from other women.
Footage released last year shows Combs assaulting her in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
Combs, 54, was arrested in September 2024 and now faces charges including sex trafficking, transporting individuals for prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy.
He has denied all allegations.
