Justin Bieber jokes about Kourtney Kardashian romance rumors

Justin Bieber has poked fun at reports he is dating reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian, suggesting he is "being used" as revenge following her recent break-up.

Last month (Dec15), speculation spread that the Sorry singer, 21, was secretly hooking up with Kim Kardashian's elder sister, 36, who split from her longtime boyfriend and father of her three children, Scott Disick, last year (15).

During a pre-taped radio interview on syndicated news program The Bert Show, which is set to air on Wednesday (06Jan16), host Bert Weiss asked Bieber about the rumors, noting a People magazine headline which read: "Kourtney Kardashian Fling Is an 'Ego Boost' for Justin Bieber, Says Source: 'He Couldn't Care Less' If It's for Revenge on Scott Disick".

In response to the headline, Bieber quipped, "I'm being used, man. What can I say?"

Weiss continued to prod for more details, asking the pop star if there was any truth to the gossip, to which Bieber replied, "Nah, we'll leave it at that," adding, "For real, she's great. I've known (the family) for years."

The interview comes out days after Bieber sparked rumors he is in a new relationship with his longtime friend, model Hailey Baldwin.

The two rang in 2016 together in Anguilla, and they both posted photos on Instagram.com suggesting their friendship has now turned romantic.

Bieber fueled the rumors on Sunday (03Jan16) by sharing a captionless picture showing him passionately kissing Hailey, and he posted another photo of them snuggling next to each other on a couch.