Justin Bieber -- the once squeaky-clean pop star who captured the hearts of pre-teens and their mothers around the world with hits such as “Baby” and “Boyfriend” -- has been making headlines recently for all the wrong reasons.
Here’s a look back at Bieber’s evolution from an innocent guitar-playing, silky-haired YouTube star to a rebellious sizzurp-sipping 19 year old.
YouTube beginnings
American talent manager Scooter Braun, who became Bieber’s manager, first stumbled upon the young singer’s YouTube videos in 2007 when Bieber was just 13 years old.
Braun tracked down Bieber’s mother, Pattie Mallette, to ask about signing him to Raymond Braun Media Group: a record label Braun co-founded with R&B singer Usher.
Rise to superstardom: My World 2.0, Never Say Never
Bieber’s first single “One Time” was played on the radio while Bieber was still recording his first album “My World.” By 2009, the song had gained success in international markets.
In December 2009, the young singer was invited to the White House to perform Stevie Wonder’s “Somebody at Christmas” for U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.
The next half of a two-piece project released in 2010, “My World 2.0,” featured hit singles such as “Baby” and “Somebody to Love.” The album effectively propelled the young star to superstardom. The next year, Bieber starred in a 3-D biopic, “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,” followed by his third album “Believe,” which further cemented him as a pop singing sensation.
The beginning of controversy
2011
Oct. 27: Bieber was pulled over by Los Angeles police in October 2011 while driving his ‘Batman’-customized Cadillac with a custom-made ‘JB’ logo. Bieber, 17 years old at the time, was let off with a warning.
Nov. 2: Mariah Yeater, a young concert-goer, filed a paternity suit in San Diego Superior Court, saying she and Bieber had a sexual encounter after one of the singer’s concerts in Los Angeles. Bieber said he never met the woman and agreed to a paternity test to disprove allegations. The paternity suit was dismissed in November 2011.
2012
May 27: Bieber was reportedly out walking to a movie theatre with then-girlfriend Selena Gomez when paparazzi attempted to snap pictures of the couple. An altercation ensured, with witnesses saying Bieber lost control. The singer was accused by of “roughing up” the photographer.
Sept. 29: The baby-faced pop star said he drank too much milk before a concert, which cause him to vomit on stage, twice. The singer returned to the stage after being sick, and even performed an encore during a sold-out show in Arizona.
Nov. 23: Bieber whipped up a frenzy during a November tour stop in Ottawa, when he met up with Prime Minister Stephen Harper dressed in unbuttoned overalls and a baseball cap.
2013
Jan. 10: A former bodyguard sued Bieber, seeking more than $420,000, claiming that the pop star berated him and punched him during an argument about how to handle a member of Bieber’s entourage.
Mar. 3: The singer angered fans when he appeared onstage two hours late for a concert in London. Bieber insisted he was only 40 minutes late, and blamed his tardiness on technical issues. Bieber later fainted backstage at a concert in London a few days later. A spokeswoman for the singer said Bieber was given oxygen and 20 minutes to recover.
Mar. 26: One of Bieber’s neighbours in Southern California accused the singer of battery and making threats during an argument. Police were called to the scene, but no arrests were made.
Mar. 28: Bieber was forced to leave behind a pet capuchin monkey in quarantine when he landed in Germany for his European tour in March.
Apr. 12: The singer raised eyebrows in April when he said he hoped Anne Frank “would have been a Belieber” during a visit to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. The comment sparked outrage on social media, with many saying the singer was being ignorant and disrespectful.
Apr. 25: A stun gun and drugs were found on Bieber’s tour bus during his European tour. Police found the items on the bus, which had been parked under the Globen concert venue in Stockholm, where Bieber performed.
Jun. 17: Videos showed Justin Bieber behind the wheel of a white Ferrari when he ran into a photographer in Hollywood. Police later said there was no crime and that the injuries weren’t life threatening.
Jul. 11: Bieber apologized to Bill Clinton on the phone in July, after cursing the former president and spraying of his photos with cleaning fluid while he was out in a New York City restaurant.
Jul. 26: The 19-year-old was under fire in July again, after allegedly spitting over a Toronto hotel balcony, as fans waited below.
Sept. 30: Images of Bieber hit the Internet in October, when Bieber was photographed being carried up the steps of the Great Wall of China by his bodyguards.
Oct. 19: Gawker reported in October that Bieber and boxer Floyd Mayweather visited a Houston strip club, and were treated to a private show by a stripper named Diamond.
Nov. 5: The next month, Brazil’s biggest news outlet published photos of the pop star spraying graffiti on a wall in Brazil. Bieber also upset authorities in Bogota, Colombia, where he performed the week before, for spray-painting graffiti along the capital’s main avenues.
Nov. 10: Controversy ensured during his South America tour, when Bieber blamed food poisoning for forcing him to leave the stage during a concert in Argentina. Argentines also expressed outrage when the singer appeared to mop the stage using an Argentine flag that fans had tossed onto the stage.
2014
Jan. 12: Bieber was recently investigated for another dispute with his neighbours. This time, he was accused of vandalism after allegedly throwing eggs at a neighbour’s home in the gated community of Calabasas. Los Angeles police later searched Bieber’s home for evidence in the egg-tossing case. After investigators searched Bieber’s home, one of Bieber’s entourage members, Lil Za, was arrested. The rapper, whose real name is Xavier Smith, was sentenced to probation and community service after pleading no contest to felony possession of ecstasy.
Jan. 23: Bieber is arrested in Miami Beach after being stopped just before dawn in a rented yellow Lamborghini on suspicion of illegal drag-racing. Police charge the pop star with driving under the influence, resisting arrest without violence and driving with an expired licence. He isn’t charged with drag-racing. Alcohol breath tests found Bieber's level below the 0.02 limit for underage drivers. (In Florida, the underage classification applies to drivers younger than 21.) A video of police sobriety tests shows Bieber walking unsteadily, and urine tests show the presence of marijuana and Xanax in his system. He is released on a $2,500 bail later in the day. Bieber has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a trial is currently scheduled for July.
April 23: Bieber makes another cultural misstep by visiting a Japanese war shrine in central Tokyo and posting photographs of the site to his Instagram account. The Yasukuni Shrine enshrines 2.5 million war dead, including 14 convicted war criminals, and operates a war museum that defends Japan's wartime aggression. It is a flashpoint between Japan and its neighbours, in particular China and South Korea. Bieber asked his driver to stop at the site as he passed by, saying he thought it was a “beautiful shrine” and assumed it was only a place of prayer.
May 12: Bieber is reportedly being investigated in connection with an alleged attempted robbery in L.A. on May 12. Police told a local television station that the pop star was accused of attempted robbery after an incident in the San Fernando Valley after Bieber allegedly tried to take a girl's phone. TMZ reports the incident happened at a batting cage, and Bieber tried to swipe the phone when he saw a girl trying to take his picture. He has not been arrested or charged.
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
