Justin Bieber Refutes Sexual Assault Allegation: 'Sexual Abuse Is Something I Don't Take Lightly'


Justin Bieber has produced screenshots of emails and hotel receipts to refute a sexual assault claim posted Saturday by an anonymous Twitter user.

On Saturday evening, a Twitter user under the name Danielle, who chose to keep her last name anonymous, alleged that she was sexually assaulted by the singer in 2014 when she was 21 and Bieber was 20. (The tweet and the account were later removed from Twitter.)

Danielle alleged that she met Bieber while attending an event in Texas and claimed that she and her friends were invited back to the pop star's hotel where she was "sexually assaulted without consent." Danielle did not identify the friends and has not otherwise spoken publicly about the claim. After the Twitter account was removed, Danielle was not able to be reached by PEOPLE for additional comments.

"I don't normally address things as I have dealt with random accusations my entire career but after talking with my wife [Hailey Baldwin] and team I have decided to speak up on an issue tonight," Bieber, 26, began a series of tweets on Sunday evening.

"Rumors are rumors but sexual abuse is something I don’t take lightly. I wanted to speak out right away but out of respect to so many victims who deal with these issues daily I wanted to make sure I gathered the facts before I made any statement," Bieber wrote.

"In the past 24 hours a new Twitter appeared that told a story of myself involved with sexual abuse on March 9, 2014 in Austin Texas at the Four seasons hotel. I want to be clear. There is no truth to this story. In fact as I will soon show I was never present at that location," he said.

Bieber shared several posts on Twitter, including links to articles from the time period in addition to proof of receipts and emails, to deny the allegation.

Furthermore, the singer said: "We have also confirmed with the Four Seasons regional manager that I was never on property on the 9th of March 2014 and never a guest on the 9th or the 10th and I welcome all press to inquire with them if needed or wanted."

Bieber concluded his series of tweets, writing, "Every claim of sexual abuse should be taken very seriously and this is why my response was needed. However this story is factually impossible and that is why I will be working with twitter and authorities to take legal action."

Bieber's rep did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to online.rainn.org.

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