Justin Bieber Sued for $9M By Deafened Mom
Stacey Wilson Betts is no Belieber. In fact, she claims she had such a bad experience at a Justin Bieber concert that she's suing the teen heartthrob for $9.2 million.
In the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon on Tuesday, Betts, of Wilsonville, Ore., claims she suffered severe hearing damage at a Bieber concert two years ago when sounds there exceeded safe decibel levels.
According to the suit - which was posted on TMZ - Betts said she took her daughter to a July 14, 2010 show at the Rose Quarter in Portland, Ore.
The courts papers claim the injury occurred when Bieber climbed into a heart-shaped gondola that pulled him over the crowd.
The complaint states: "Mr. Bieber created a wave like effect of screaming by pointing into various sections of the arena. Then enticed the crowd into a frenzy of screams by continuously waving his arms in a quick and upward motion, whereas I was struck with a sound blast."
Betts, who is representing herself in the case, claims she suffered severe hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis - which is abnormally acute hearing - in both ears.
The suit names Bieber, along with his record company, Island Def Jam Records; the concert promoter, AEG Worldwide; and the venue owner, Vulcan Sports Entertainment. Bieber and the co-defendants were "negligent" in failing to provide safe decibel levels, Betts' complaint says.
"Due to their negligance (sic) and my subsequent inability to protect myself, my quality of life has been permanently reduced in addition to the injury," the court papers also claim.
Bieber's reps didn't respond to a request for comment.
This isn't the first time the "Boyfriend" singer's concerts have formed the basis of legal trouble for him.
Last year a 20-year-old woman claimed she got pregnant after she and the singer had a backstage sexual tryst following one of his concerts.
Bieber strongly denied the allegations. The woman, Mariah Yeater, later dropped the suit.