14 DAY TRIAL // Rumor has it that Justin Bieber has the temper and maturity of a brat, so this is probably why everyone rushed to believe a report claiming that his nasty behavior got him slapped by NBA star Blake Griffin, in an altercation outside a Starbucks in West Hollywood.
The report came from a website called Empire Sports and was immediately picked up by sports and celebrity publications alike and run as a legit story.
While the e-zine doesn’t come with the usual chunky disclaimer, all the news items posted on it are classified as “Satire,” which obviously means that the Justin Bieber getting slapped story is not real.
Still, it deserves some credit for how detailed and well written it was, which made it very believable. According to the report, Bieber went to get a cup of coffee at said establishment and was shocked to find he was being denied service because he wasn’t wearing a shirt.
You don’t have to be a fan of Bieber to know of his relatively recent hate of casual streetwear: ever since he’s developed some muscular definition, the pop star has insisted on not wearing shirts in public, as if to show off his manly body. Add to that the fact that his pants are usually so low you can see most of his underwear, and it seems justifiable that someone would deny him service because of his attire.
However, the fake viral story said, Justin being a brat, he refused to take no for an answer so, because he would not put a shirt on, he started causing mayhem.
“According to the police report Bieber started cussing at the barista and threatening to have his bodyguard, ‘kick his [butt].’ Fortunately for [the barista], LA Clippers star Blake Griffin had been enjoying a drink at a table when he witnessed the altercation and stepped in,” the report claimed.
It claimed Griffin initially tried to get Bieber to calm down and act like an adult, but he would have none of it. Exasperated, Griffin then “smacked Bieber, knocking him to the ground.” The pop star left covering his face because he was crying, before the police even arrived at the scene.
As these “satire” pieces go, this one was actually pretty good, so it’s not much of a surprise so many people fell for it.