Justin Bieber was recently accused ofsexual assault by two people on Twitter: an anonymous user who goes by Danielle and a woman known only as Kadi.- TMZ and People reported that Bieber is suing both women for defamation and seeking more than $20 million in damages.
- According to legal documents, Bieber calls the allegations "fabricated lies" and claims his accusers are seeking attention.
- Bieber's decision to sue is a silencing tactic that betrays his female fans.
- There's no reason a rich pop star needs to demand millions of dollars from anonymous, nameless women — unless he wants to discourage future victims from coming forward.
- Additionally, neither woman has attempted to make her identity widely known, which invalidates the argument that Bieber's accusers are motivated by fame.
- If Bieber's true intention is to prove his innocence, he could have sued for a very low amount — like Taylor Swift's symbolic $1 lawsuit — to make a point.
Justin Bieber has filed a $20 million lawsuit against two women who accused him of sexual assault.
The 26-year-old pop star is seeking $10 million for each story, both of which were shared on Twitter earlier this week.
The first came from an anonymous user who identified herself as Danielle, but said in her Twitter post that she's not ready to reveal her real name. She said Bieber raped her in a Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas on March 9, 2014, just after the pop star turned 20 years old. (Danielle's account has since been deleted.)
The second came from a woman known only as Kadi, who doesn't have a surname listed on social media. She said Danielle's story inspired her to come forward, and accused Bieber of raping her at The Langham in New York City on May 5, 2015.
—Kadi (@ItsnotKadi) June 21, 2020
Bieber said in a tweet that both accusations are "factually impossible," — which was repeated by his lawyers in his lawsuit, according to People — and he already shared hotel receipts from 2014 that he said contradicts Danielle's account.
But Bieber's decision to sue for defamation should infuriate any remaining female fans — whether they believe he's innocent or not.
The idea that accusers are looking for fame and attention is sexist, misguided — and, in this case, nonsensical
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ and People, Bieber claims these two allegations are "part of a scheme to seek attention and fame."
Indeed, the idea that women make false accusations for "attention and fame" is both common and deeply deluded.
When victims of assault and harassment speak up — whether they name the perpetrator or keep their story vague — they are often mocked, harassed, threatened, or blamed for their own trauma.
This is especially true when the perpetrator is rich, powerful, or a popular
Moreover, Bieber's claim that his accusers are seeking "attention and fame" doesn't even make sense. Both women are listed as "Jane Doe" in the lawsuit.
Aside from the first names they go by on social media, Danielle and Kadi have remained anonymous. They have no personal details publicly available.
Neither woman has been interviewed by mainstream media outlets, or attempted to make her identity widely known, which totally invalidates the argument that Bieber's accusers are motivated by fame.
Suing for defamation is an infamous silencing tactic
There's simply no reason a rich pop star needs to demand millions of dollars from anyone, let alone two powerless, nameless women — unless he wants to discourage future victims from coming forward.
Suing for defamation is a silencing tactic that's arisen in response to the #MeToo and Time's Up movements. Assuming the defendant doesn't have millions of dollars to go after, all it really does is demonstrate the reach and financial strength of the accused, discouraging any other potential victims from coming forward.
This isn't to say that Bieber has other victims, or that his existing accusations are true.
But Bieber's decision to sue for $20 million sends a clear message to his largely female fanbase: If you come forward about sexual assault, especially if your abuser is famous, they could have the power to financially ruin you.
As Madison Pauly reported for Mother Jones earlier this year, defamation lawsuits have been rapidly increasing in frequency. Few are publicized, and very few go to trial, "but their impact extends well beyond the courtroom."
"According to [director Sharyn] Tejani of Time's Up, the threat of being sued, and the expense of mounting a legal defense, has deterred many survivors who seek to speak out — not to mention the stress of rehashing traumatic events in court," Pauly wrote.
Pamela Lopez, one of five women who accused California politician Matt Dababneh of sexual misconduct, was sued for defamation in 2018. She told Mother Jones that the lawsuit "scares the s--- out of me all the time."
"For the past nearly two years of my life, I've lived with the weight of a defamation lawsuit on me. That's an everyday thing, and it's a lonely thing," Lopez said, adding that she sometimes panics in the middle of the night: "What if he tries to take everything?"
It's very unlikely that Bieber's career will suffer
According to Buzzfeed, many men who sue for defamation do so because they lost job prospects or income due to an allegation.
But as previously mentioned, Bieber has fans who will support him no matter what.
It seems highly unlikely that Danielle and Kadi's stories will impact Bieber's sales or streaming numbers — especially given the continued success of artists like Chris Brown, who was convicted of assaulting Rihanna more than a decade ago, and XXXTentacion, whose popularity actually surged at the same time he was charged on allegations of domestic violence.
All that to say, the careers of popular male artists rarely suffer after assault allegations.
Moreover, Bieber was quick to deny these allegations, quick to offer apparent evidence of his innocence, and quick to garner sympathy. Bieber's media coverage this week has overwhelmingly focused on his vehement denials. It's hardly fair to argue that he's been dramatically, irreversibly defamed.
If Bieber's true intention is to prove his innocence, he could have sued for a very low amount to make a point
When Taylor Swift accused a radio DJ of sexual assault and he sued her, citing loss of wages, she sued back. But Swift only requested a symbolic $1 in damages.
Swift certainly had more money and influence to wield than her opponent, but the point wasn't to bury him financially. The point was to stand up for sexual assault victims and make her case in court.
If the point of Bieber's lawsuit is to make a legal case for his innocence, he could have taken a similar route. If he truly believes that "every claim of sexual abuse should be taken very seriously," he could start by showing his support for victims — rather than making a dramatic display of his own power, which will only scare other victims who could never afford to speak up.
If just one female fan gets assaulted or harassed in the future, but doesn't come forward because she thinks, "What if he sues me for defamation just like Justin did?" — then it's not worth it.
"There's this false belief by people accused that 'Hey, if I go through the trouble and expense and time and publicity for a defamation lawsuit, then it surely will show the world that I'm innocent of this wicked allegation.' That's just not true," Alex Berke, an employment lawyer in New York, told Mother Jones.
"If anything, it shows that they have that kind of aggressive temperament that reinforces the original allegation in the first place."
- Read more:
- Justin Bieber named Selena Gomez 6 times while refuting sexual assault allegations. Here's why fans are angry that he used her as an alibi.
- Justin Bieber shows support for Chris Brown amid rape allegations: 'No one can touch you'
- Taylor Swift won her $1 groping trial against a DJ: Here's everything you need to know
- 8 ways to help survivors of sexual assault