Justin Bieber and Scooter Braun. Photo Credit: Lou Stejskal
Earlier this week, Justin Bieber took to Instagram to criticize the “trash” merch collection that H&M released featuring his image. Now, the Stockholm-headquartered clothing company has pulled the line “out of respect for the collaboration and Justin Bieber.”
This latest twist in the much-publicized showdown between 28-year-old Justin Bieber and 75-year-old H&M just recently entered the media spotlight. As mentioned, the London, Ontario-born singer previously targeted H&M in an Instagram post, writing in part that he “didn’t approve any of the merch collection,” which had allegedly been “put up at H&M all without my permission or approval.”
“SMH I wouldn’t buy it if I were you,” continued the two-time Grammy winner (and 23-time nominee). “The H&M merch they made of me is trash, and I didn’t approve it. Don’t buy it.” Meanwhile, the brand promptly responded to the pushback involving the merch collection – including a sweatshirt dress with a photo of the artist’s face and a pink hoodie with a line from “Ghost,” which Bieber released in 2021.
“As with all other licensed products and partnerships, H&M followed proper approval procedures,” the company said of the Bieber tiff in a widely circulated statement.
On the heels of these remarks – and an avalanche of criticism from fired-up Beliebers – H&M has done away with the products in question altogether, as initially noted.
“H&M has followed all proper approval procedures, but out of respect for the collaboration and Justin Bieber, we have removed these garments,” a company rep said of the decision to axe the line. At the time of this writing, Bieber hadn’t responded to the development on social media, and the future of his professional relationship with H&M, which has reportedly worked with the “Baby” vocalist and songwriter since 2016, remains unclear.
Beyond the H&M dispute, Bieber is reportedly in talks to sell his catalog to Hipgnosis in an approximately $200 million deal.
Though neither of the involved parties has officially announced the transaction’s close, Bieber and the Blackstone-powered catalog investor are said to be nearing a formal agreement. The purchase would reportedly extend to the Justice creator’s recorded and publishing interests alike.
Also in December, Bieber – who has postponed his remaining Justice World Tour stops until 2023 due to health concerns – was named in a class-action lawsuit over alleged legal violations stemming from the promotion of Bored Ape Yacht Club non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Madonna, The Weeknd, Paris Hilton, and others were likewise named in the complaint, which alleges that the A-listers were part of a conspiracy “to misleadingly promote and sell the Yuga Financial Products.”