LOS ANGELES — Troubled pop star Justin Bieber, who’s embarking on a new world tour next month, will have to take a break from his concert prep next week for a trial in Los Angeles.
Both Bieber and former lady love Selena Gomez are due to take the stand.
The civil trial is set to start Feb. 16 in Los Angeles Superior Court and is slated to last four days.
Bieber, 21, was sued three years ago by West Coast paparazzo Jose Duran.
The alleged assault occurred in the parking lot of a mall in Calabasas, Calif., in May 2012. Duran says he was kicked and punched by Bieber for getting too close to the singer and Gomez when they left a movie theater.
Duran claimed Bieber and Gomez got into his car without incident as he took his photos, but Bieber jumped out of the car and sprinted toward Duran.
Duran says he saw Bieber elevate into air and deliver a martial arts kick into his abdomen before punching him in the face.
The trial has been postponed several times and the judge has made it clear it will no longer be postponed.
Unless the Biebs settles with Duran, the court is ready to go forth with what could turn out to be another embarrassing moment for the singer of Sorry and What do You Mean?
So far, it’s the only one of the 12-plus lawsuits filed nationally by people who claim they were assaulted by Bieber and his bodyguards that appears headed for trial.
All of the others, including one in Miami, were settled out of court.
The Duran lawsuit is the only incident that led to legal action where Bieber’s bodyguards were not involved.
“They’ve been negotiating for ever with Duran’s people,” said a source close to Bieber. “Duran doesn’t think he is being taken seriously. Justin’s people are consistently offering him less than seven figures and Duran wants more than seven figures.”
By Jose Lambiet, GossipExtra.com, SouthFloridaReporter.com, Feb. 10, 2016
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