View full sizeKevin Winter/Getty ImagesJustin Bieber performs at the 2012 Teen Choice Awards.
By Amy Brittain and Tris McCall
NEWARK — As it turns out, pop star Justin Bieber will not be headed to Newark for a charity event at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
Over the past 24 hours, Newark Bears owner Danielle Dronet continued to insist, despite a denial from Bieber’s publicist, that the teen superstar would make a pre-Halloween appearance at the stadium on Oct. 28.
By mid-afternoon today, Dronet’s message took a different tone.
“The Newark Bears and The Newark Bears That Care Foundation are investigating a situation regarding fraudulent representation of Justin Bieber, who has no part of any potential related fraudulent activity,” according to the Bears’ Facebook page. The references to Bieber were also removed from the team’s official webpage.
The news comes a day after The Star-Ledger first reported that the deal was in doubt. Bieber’s publicist, Melissa Victor, told the newspaper yesterday that Dronet’s press release was “pure fiction.”
When reached earlier today, Dronet hung up the phone on a Star-Ledger reporter.
Yesterday, Dronet said the deal with Bieber had been arranged through SkyIsland, an entertainment group with ties to California. Rene Lujan, the vice president of that group, said last night that the show was “100 percent on” and was “not a hoax.” But today, he expressed doubts about the plans. “The latest is that I’m totally confused. I’m hearing from all sides about the situation. I don’t know what to believe,” he said. “Frankly, a lot of these (deals) fall through the cracks. The bottom line is, nothing is in stone.”
Follow @starledger
Related coverage:
• Field of screams? Justin Bieber’s Newark stadium show may be stranded at 3rd
• More Music news
Source:
http://justinbieber.blog7up.com/2012/10/09/justin-bieber-to-play-in-newark-apparently-not/