Justin Bieber

Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actor. Encountered at 13 years old by talent manager Scooter Braun after he had watched the boy's YouTube cover song videos, Bieber was signed to RBMG Records in 2008

Becoming a star
Justin Bieber was discovered on YouTube after posting homemade videos and meeting Usher by chance. In October 2008, Usher signed Bieber as a teen protege to Island Def Jam, and the young singer began prepping his debut collection of songs.

Fame
Bieber released My World as his debut EP in November 2009. The seven-song collection featured “One Less Lonely Girl,” which became a top 20 hit on the Hot 100 chart, as well as the Usher collaboration “First Dance.” Bieber followed up the successful singles “One Time” and “One Less Lonely Girl” with a proper mainstream breakout hit: “Baby,” produced by “Tricky” Stewart and The-Dream and featuring Ludacris, became an international smash upon its January 2010 release, reaching No. 5 on the Hot 100 chart and spawning one of the most-viewed videos in YouTube’s history.

Legal Issues
April 24, 2013: Police reportedly founs drugs and a stun gun on board one of the tour buses. No criminal charges are filed and Bieber was not on the vehicle at the time.

Nov. 8, 2013: Bieber is charged with vandalism after spray-painting graffiti in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is forced to pay a fine but is not arrested.

Dec. 30, 2013: Toronto police allege that Bieber hit a limo driver on the back of the head on this date after he was picked up with five other people. The singer pleads not guilty and a hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8, 2014.

Jan. 14, 2014: Bieber is detained after being accused of throwing about 24 eggs at his neighbour’s house in Calabasas on Jan. 9, causing around $2,000 in damage. On July 9, the singer pleads no contest to misdemeanor vandalism and is ordered to pay $81,000 in damages and to serve two years of probation, five days of community service and 12 weeks of anger management.

Jan. 23, 2014: On the night that inspired a thousand mugshot memes, Bieber is arrested in Miami Beach for an alleged DUI while drag racing. He is also charged with driving with an expired license and resisting arrest, and is released on $2,500 bail. On Aug. 13, he pleads guilty to reckless driving and resisting arrest and a plea deal forces him to take a 12-hour anger management course and to pay a $500 fine and $50,000 to a local children’s organization.

Jan. 29, 2014: Bieber surrenders to authorities at a Toronto police station over charges relating to the alleged assault of a Toronto limo driver. The cops allege that on Dec. 29, 2013 Bieber was one of six people the limo driver picked up from a night club and that the driver was allegedly attacked on the way to a hotel.

March 6, 2014: While being deposed for a lawsuit (which involved his bodyguard allegedly pulling a gun on a photographer), Bieber bristles when asked about his off-on girlfriend Selena Gomez. “Don’t ask me about her again,” he says. Justin has been ridiculed by the press for his behaviour during the proceedings.

Aug. 20, 2014: Photographer Aja Oxman alleges that Bieber ordered his bodyguard to nab the photographer’s memory card after he took photos of the singer in Hawaii in November. Dwayne Patterson allegedly put Oxman in a chokehold and damaged his camera. The photographer was reportedly seeking more than $25,000 in damages but lack of evidence meant Bieber was neither arrested nor charged.

Aug. 29, 2014: Bieber is arrested in Stratford, Ont. on charges of dangerous driving while on his ATV.