TORONTO — Justin Bieber has a simple message for non-Beliebers: “I don’t give a f***.”
The 19-year-old Canadian pop superstar explained his philosophy about those who delight in his every misstep and dismiss him as a rehab-bound flash-in-the-pan.
“Not ‘I don’t give a f***’ to just be reckless and do whatever, but ‘I don’t give a f*** what they say.’ … I know who I am and what I’m doing in my life and what I’ve accomplished and continue to accomplish as a performer, as a writer, as an artist, as a person, as a human being,” Bieber told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published this week.
“I’m happy with the man I’m becoming.”
Bieber indicated he is well aware that he fuels an entire industry.
“When people see a negative thing about me on a magazine, they’re gonna buy it. Every time some site writes something bad, all my followers go on there, and it brings them more traffic,” he explaiend. “Now they have all the Beliebers on their site, which gives them money from advertisers. They’re just worried about money. They don’t care about ruining someone’s name.”
Bieber’s manager Scott “Scooter” Braun vehemently defends his star.
“He has to be allowed to make his own decisions — and mistakes,” Braun told THR. “Say whatever the f*** you want. Justin’s not going to go crazy. He’s not going to end up in rehab. He’s not going to end up a statistic.”
Braun said the London, Ont.-born singer is the “only person in humanity who’s grown up the way he has — with smartphones and cameras on him 24/7.
“Another kid can go out and have a good night on the town, and no one gives a crap, but Justin is the most Googled person on the planet!”
While not suggesting Bieber is an angel, Braun said a lot of his public displays of anger come from being judged unfairly.
He referred to reports in July that Bieber was spitting from his balcony at Toronto’s Hazelton Hotel onto fans who were gathered on the street below.
“Justin was playing the loogie game with his friends over the freaking porch! They put two separate pictures together, implied something, and the whole world ran with it,” said Braun.
And, he added, Bieber didn’t deserve to be mocked for suggesting Anne Frank would have been a Belieber.
Bieber told THR he has learned to trust only a handful of people.
“I trust my mom and dad. I trust Scooter with my career; he’s always made sure I’m taken care of,” said the star. “That’s it.”
There are others looking out for Bieber, though.
Braun said Toronto rapper Drake is “like a big brother to Justin” and the two have “an extremely special relationship.”
And when Bieber was going through a particularly rough time this past May, actor and former rapper Will Smith arrived at his house, pulled the singer out of bed and sat him down for a three-hour talk.
Braun said Bieber was touched. “He said, ‘Man, that makes me feel so loved. I woke up, and there’s Will Smith, one of, if not the, biggest movie stars on the planet. He took time out of his day for me.'”
Bieber and Smith continue to have weekly chats, said Braun.
Bieber said he’s not as concerned about his future as his haters seem to be.
“I have all the time in the world.”
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