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Shame On Anyone Claiming Justin Bieber Used Orlando To Promote His Purpose Tour

By Page Mackinley
Published on: 18:22 PST, Jun 30, 2016

Justin Bieber has been unfairly accused of using the Pulse nightclub shootings in Orlando, Florida, to promote his current Purpose World Tour, simply because he tweeted #OrlandoStrong the same day as his sold-out concert in the city on Thursday (June 30).

In fact, Justin Bieber’s tweet expressed the same solidarity with the massacre victims and families affected that he shared on his three biggest social media accounts earlier this month, in posts specifically about the tragedy.

Just hours after the June 12 atrocity, which took place in a gay club, and which has since rippled anger, grief, and mobilization through the LGBT community, Bieber took to Facebook to endorse an essay written by his manager calling for stronger gun control laws.

When the singer was reportedly advised to cancel his then upcoming Orlando show for safety, Bieber refused. On June 16, he tweeted, “I stand with Orlando in support. Love you Orlando! #OrlandoStrong.”

Additionally, Bieber posted a message on Instagram one week ago urging his fans to pray for the families of the Orlando victims.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGxkB0wAvkq/

Fast forward to Thursday morning (June 30), hours before performing in Orlando, the Canadian star tweeted, “Up next…. #OrlandoStrong #PurposeTour.”

Despite Bieber’s social media posts expressing his support for Orlando, his calls for tighter gun control laws, and asking fans to pray for the families affected, apparently that wasn’t enough for tabloids and staff writers at blogs. Shortly after the above tweet rolled out, some media outlets accused the pop star of using the tragedy to promote his Purpose Tour even though it is already sold out.

Elite Daily was the first to pile on. Using hyperbole, and evidently without bothering to do any research and trawl back through Bieber’s social media, the writer likened the singer’s Thursday tweet to the self-congratulatory tweet shared by Donald Trump following the shootings.

Mean-spiritedly, the author continued, “Justin Bieber is now following his [Trump’s] lead.” The blogger went on to claim the Biebs’ brief tweet was using “an immense tragedy for the LGBTQ+ and Latino community… as a form of self-promotion” which is “incredibly insulting to the victims.”

The over-the-top piece ended by asking Canada to take Bieber back, and accusing a 22-year-old who suffers from depression and anxiety of making a “terrible event” about himself.

Mic.com was just as bad. The writer either ignored Bieber’s past social media posts about the Orlando shootings or didn’t research them. Either way, the website inaccurately claimed, “Unlike many celebrities, Bieber hasn’t spoken publicly about the attack.”

By any reasonable standards, Bieber’s tweet was a simple and sensible way of letting fans know that his Purpose Tour was heading to Orlando. Using the #OrlandoStrong hashtag acknowledged the city’s recent trauma. Indeed, some of the over-17,000 teenage fans who later screamed their lungs out in Orlando’s Amway Center might have had relatives, friends, or friends of friends who died or were touched by the horror. They may have been happy to see Bieber’s tweet.

As a singer, Bieber’s job is to entertain and lift or otherwise move the spirits of fans through his music and shows. That sentiment was seen in a tweet posted by one of the dancers on the Purpose Tour ahead of the concert.

Ironically, given the shabby finger-pointing by some, Bieber’s Orlando concert included a poignant speech at one part of the show in which the singer told the audience, “You guys have been in my heart, I’ve just been thinking of the families and really feeling for them.”

At another point, all the names of the Pulse shooting victims were seen on a giant screen while Justin performed his album title song “Purpose.” The #OrlandoStrong hashtag were the last words left. Christina Grimmie, The Voice singer, killed by a deranged “fan” after her Orlando concert the day before the nightclub massacre, was included in the tragic roll call.

As for Bieber, Gossip Cop’s Thursday report included an unequivocally strong statement from a source close to the singer about the self-promoting accusations. The insider told the site, “His tour has been sold out for months. He wants to be supportive of the city, and it is disgusting anyone would say anything otherwise.”

A snapshot of Beliebers’ tweets reveals wholesale agreement with that view.

[Images via Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images]

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