Justin Bieber has reportedly turned down a fee of $5 million (£3.7m) to perform at a Republican event during the Republican Party convention in Cleveland.
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The offer sent to Bieber’s talent agency CAA allegedly required Bieber to perform for 45 minutes at a venue near the Quicken Loans Arena, where the Republican National Convention was held. Justin’s people were told by an RNC promoter that this performance would be “not political” and that Biebs would not be endorsing Donald Trump, 70, or any GOP policies. The donors would also cover production expenses.
Bieber reportedly “seriously considered” doing the show because of the money-TMZ notes it’s one of the highest single paydays for any singer-and his neutrality as a Canadian watching an American election.
The report says that Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, who has campaigned and fundraised on behalf of Hillary Clinton, said he would drop Bieber as a client if he went through with the gig. Scooter and CAA felt, regardless of the representations, this was “100 percent political”.
Sources tell TMZ that Braun initially entertained the idea, and encouraged Bieber to simultaneously promote the Black Lives Matter movement. We’re told Braun was told he could not display BLM banners, but the donors would accept banners that read “All Lives Matter”. TMZ also reports that the event promoter attempted to sway Bieber by telling him that LeBron James was going to be making an appearance in Cleveland “welcoming the GOP without taking a political stand”.
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Braun then reportedly told Bieber it was up to the singer if he wanted to do the show but according to the website, claimed that “he couldn’t continue to represent [Bieber] if he did, out of principle”.
