Justin Bieber responds to robbery accusations
Justin Bieber is speaking up following accusations that he tried to steal a woman's phone Monday night at an entertainment complex in Los Angeles.
In a series of tweets, the 20-year-old pop star slams the "rumors" and opens up about the way he was raised:
"It is hard to defend myself and my privacy every moment of the day. Then to see rumors. The truth will set u free," he tweeted along with a screen shot of a TMZ article about the incident.
"My mom raised me to be kind to others. I get judged, harassed, and I try to take the high road. Sometimes it isn't easy. But we keep trying," Bieber added. "I will continue to be the man my mother raised. I love people and I will try to be kind even when things are not fair. Don't believe rumors. Thanks for those who stick by me and those that help me grow everyday. I love you."
The woman was taking photos of the singer, and he asked her to stop but didn't accost her, said Howard Weitzman, Bieber's attorney.
Police spokeswoman Rosario Herrera said the woman reported that Bieber, 20, attempted to take the phone Monday night at a facility that features miniature golf, arcades and batting cages in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood.
Bieber was hitting baseballs while the woman photographed him and tried to get him to take a picture with her daughter, Weitzman said.
Weitzman said he looked into the allegations and an employee at the facility reported that the woman was the aggressor.
"I would think this would fade away, given the facts here," he added.
Detectives interviewed the woman Tuesday night. The Police Department's elite Robbery Homicide Division are investigating, and detectives asked the public to step forward with information.
Prosecutors are still considering whether to file charges against Bieber over an egg-throwing incident in January that damaged a neighbor's home in Calabasas.
Bieber is scheduled to go on trial in July in Miami on charges he was driving under the influence and without a valid driver's license in January. He has also been charged in Toronto with assault. Weitzman has said Bieber is innocent in the Toronto case.