Justin Bieber has been accused of shouting a racial slur during a 2016 fight following an NBA Finals game.
The San Diego Tribune reports Rodney Tobias Cannon filed a lawsuit against the singer accusing him of stealing his $500 Versace sunglasses and attacking him when he snapped a picture.
"Bieber’s demeanor drastically changed after plaintiff took defendant Bieber’s photograph,” the paperwork reads.
“Bieber suddenly became irate, resulting in defendant Bieber threatening harm to the plaintiff if the photograph was not deleted.”
Video footage from the incident showed Bieber shoving and punching Cannon before being thrown to the ground by the significantly larger man. A brawl followed, and according to TMZ, Cannon was left with injuries to his head, neck and back.
Justin Bieber sued over wild brawl caught on camera following 2016 NBA Finals game https://t.co/p3JtnLUi3p
pic.twitter.com/cMi9gcYUxD— San Diego Union-Tribune (@sdut) June 8, 2018
The lawsuit further accuses Bieber of threatening Cannon and using "racial epithets."
A source told The Blast the "Sorry" singer used the N-word during the scuffle.
Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, denied the allegations in a series of tweets. He accused Cannon of working to damage his client's reputation for monetary gain.
Justin Bieber has done a lot of stupid things in his past but what he has also done is apologize and own those mistakes. This most recent claim against him is completely false and a fabrication from a man who tried to push for money for the last several years
— Scooter Braun (@scooterbraun) June 8, 2018
It is disgusting to me to see this man lie and try to bring race into a situation to scare us into a payment again. He never said these things before because they never happened. This is a smear tactic to get money and it’s gross
— Scooter Braun (@scooterbraun) June 8, 2018
So I repeat… these statements again justin are completely false and we won’t be scared or blackmailed. This man should be ashamed of himself. Real racism exists.. but it doesn’t apply here. Just horrible.
— Scooter Braun (@scooterbraun) June 8, 2018
