Justin Bieber sued by Canadian club promoters
Justin Bieber has been slapped with a defamation lawsuit from Canadian promoters he criticized online.
The pop superstar signed a deal with bosses at Team Productions last summer (15) to make an appearance at Beachclub in Montreal, where Bieber was expected to perform and party with fans in exchange for a $250,000 fee.
Plaintiffs claim they paid the singer the agreed amount and
promised to hand over another $175,000 just before the event, as
long as the Baby hitmaker promoted the club gig on his social media
accounts.
However, Team Productions officials claim Bieber did not hold up
his end of the deal, and then threatened to axe the appearance if
he didn't receive the remaining funds beforehand.
They requested a discount, citing his lack of online promotion, and
although negotiations began, Bieber pulled the plug on the event on
the morning of the gig, reports TMZ.com. He then took to Twitter to
apologize to fans and call out the party promoters, blaming their
lack of professionalism for the cancellation.
Team Productions executives claim Bieber's comment has cost them
big business and now they are suing for at least $650,000 in
damages.
The lawsuit news emerges hours after Bieber had to say Sorry to
fans again for skipping Argentina as he planned out his current
Purpose World Tour, claiming he has been banned from performing in
the country. He did not provide a specific reason for the ruling,
but the decision may link back to a previous show the singer put on
in Buenos Aires in 2013, during which he kicked the national flag
off the stage.
Government officials accused the star of desecrating the flag, and
during the same visit, a warrant for the 22-year-old's arrest was
issued after a photographer claimed he was attacked by the pop
star's bodyguards outside a nightclub.
The arrest warrant was revoked but the charges were not officially
dismissed, according to The Associated Press.