Justin Bieber is in hot water again.
A video showing a reportedly 15-year-old Bieber telling a racist joke and using the n-word has been released by Britain’s The Sun newspaper.
In the clip (available for viewing only to Sun+ subscribers), Bieber is seen sitting with friends before proceeding to ask, “Why are black people afraid of chainsaws?”
An off-camera voice cautions, “Don’t say it – don’t even say it.”
But the singer proceeds with the punchline, making chainsaw sounds as he says, “Run, n****r,” which he repeats several times.
The paper claims Bieber’s camp tried to purchase the old clip “for a huge sum of money” to keep it from going public.
The footage was reportedly recorded during the making of his 2011 concert documentary, “Never Say Never.”
Hours after The Sun published the clip for paying subscribers, TMZ posted the clip themselves and claimed they “got this video 4 years ago” but “decided not to post it… in large part because he was 15 and immediately told his friends what he did was stupid.”
Sources connected to the now 20-year-old singer reportedly told the website Justin is “frustrated and sad” over the video and plans to address it publicly within the next day or so.
On Sunday, , apologizing for the racist joke.
— Erin O’Sullivan
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