Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber are threatening to bring a defamation lawsuit against a psychology influencer who described their marriage as abusive in viral TikTok and Instagram videos.
A lawyer for the Biebers sent a cease-and-desist letter on Tuesday (Jan. 13) to content creator Julie Theis, who’s behind a series of recent videos calling Justin “abusive” and Hailey “a tolerant, codependent woman.” The videos had racked up a combined 607,000 likes as of Thursday (Jan. 15).
The cease-and-desist, obtained by Billboard, says Theis’ “outrageous” statements are “false, fabricated and defamatory.” Evan Spiegel of the law firm Lavely & Singer is demanding that Theis stop making these claims and take down her videos, warning, “Your reckless, calculated and tortious conduct exposes you to millions of dollars of liability.”
“Should you continue to engage in wrongful conduct directed at our clients, including as described herein, and/or fail to comply with this letter’s demands, you will leave my clients with no choice but to protect their rights and remedies against you,” reads the letter. “You act at your own peril. Govern yourself accordingly.”
Theis had not taken down the posts in question as of Thursday (Jan. 15). Instead, she’s doubled down, posting additional TikTok and Instagram videos defending herself and again dissecting Justin and Hailey’s relationship. In a Thursday video, for example, Theis discusses how Justin once told Hailey she “would never be on the cover of Vogue” and says, “I will let you decide if that sounds respectful or disrespectful.”
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In a statement shared with Billboard, Theis says, “My video was clearly opinion-based commentary about relationship dynamics and power. Attempts to intimidate or silence that kind of speech are concerning, not just for creators, but for public discourse as a whole.”
“This situation isn’t about defamation; it’s about whether independent voices are allowed to express opinions about public and powerful figures without being met with legal pressure,” added Theis. “It’s elitist to treat disagreement as something that should be erased. Disagreement is not defamation, and commentary should not require permission.”
Reps for the Biebers did not return a request for comment on the matter.
