Sorry ‘Beliebers’: Your Favorite Pop Star Might Be Getting Deported

Image: NRK P3 via Flickr CC

By now you’ve probably heard about the newest scandal surrounding pop star Justin Bieber. If you’ve been lucky enough to evade the barrage of news reports on the issue, a brief recap: Bieber was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida last week after getting busted for drag racing in the early hours of the morning. The singer was subsequently charged with a DUI, resisting arrest, and having an expired driver’s license, details The Hollywood Reporter. And the latest news? Due to a major petition to deport Bieber, signed by more than 100,000 people, the White House is now reportedly being forced to issue a response.

It seems like it was just yesterday that Justin Bieber emerged on the music scene. You remember, right? The wholesome, young singer with the signature long blond ‘do delighted tweens worldwide, gaining fame as rapidly, and mysteriously, as his entrance into pop stardom. Fast forward to 2014: Bieber joins the brigade of young stars that are caught acting publicly reckless, erratic, and, as many have pointed out, coddled by the limelight. Miley Cyrus, Brittney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Amanda Bynes have all been part of this media-spun “downward spiral” of young stars. And really, it’s like what they say about car crashes, you just can’t look away.

From a legal standpoint, there just isn’t any chance that Bieber would get deported from the United States for a DUI offense, or any of his other crimes, and as legal analyst Kendall Coffey points out, Bieber’s charges make him both “a lawyer’s dream and a lawyer’s nightmare.” Miami-based Coffey also explains that Bieber’s case will stir up a lot of public scrutiny. “On the one hand, you don’t want to punish him worse than some crazy kid from a local junior college,” Coffey told Steve Malzberg on Newsmax TV. “On the other hand you don’t want the public to think, yeah, the rich people can drive like crazy and get away with it.”

Obviously, the public is already very much invested in the charges against Bieber. More than 100,000 people want the pop star deported, and many more are engulfed in the dramatic media portrayal of the whole mess. According to The Hollywood Reporter, once a signature goal on a petition is met, the White House is required to issue a response, adding another layer to the Bieber drama. The White House (unsurprisingly) has yet to comment. 

Beliebe It or Not: Bieber’s Growing Up

It always happens this way. A young star or starlet begins his or her career being simply adorable and then, eventually, starts growing up. Sometimes this transformation is graceful, but other times the journey can be a little rough. And if recent events are anything to gage by, Justin Bieber is beginning to lean toward the second group.

It all began on his 19^th birthday on March 1^st. Bieber had been pumped up on Twitter, saying he had a “big night ahead.” But just a few hours later, instead of reporting on the best birthday ever, he tweeted that it had been his worst. Bieber and his crew had been partying at London’s Cirque du Soir, but after an argument with the club’s security, the entire group was told to leave. Many believe that Bieber’s paparazzi are to blame for the incident.

Just three days later, Bieber was scheduled to play a show at the O2 Arena in London. The concert had been advertised to begin at 8:30 PM on the school night, but Bieber didn’t hit the stage until 10:35 PM. Though Bieber claimed he wasn’t supposed to hit the stage until 9:35, making him only an hour late. His claim was that it was due to technical issues, but fans—especially parents—were still upset.

“Kids are having to leave as it’s so late. Not fair,” one parent tweeted. Another let a little anger through, saying, “Who the hell does Justin Bieber think he is?  Not on stage yet?! I hope everyone walks out of the O2.”

Bieber later apologized via Twitter, saying “there is no excuse for that [getting on stage late] and I apologize for anyone we upset. However it was great show and Im proud of that.”

But once negative headlines began to hit the stands, Bieber posted more Tweets expressing his frustration at what he called “fake stories,” “rumors” and “judgement.”

As if his week hadn’t been headline-heavy enough, Bieber once again made the news after fainting backstage at a concert on March 7^th. According to his manager Scooter Braun, he had been having trouble breathing during the concert. He was attended by medical personnel and later posted a photo to his Instagram from his hospital room.

Bieber’s final episode of last week came on Friday, March 9^th when he was caught on video lunging and shouting expletives at a photographer. The photographer, one of many in a group, had apparently been shouting “the worst thing possible” at Bieber.

Hopefully it’s just been what Bieber called a “rough week,” and that things will get back to normal soon. But with such widespread fame at his age, it unfortunately wouldn’t be surprising if his erratic behavior was just the first symptom of a long list of troubles to come.