Pop star Justin Bieber was seen stepping out in Los Angeles this week with former Disney actor Kyle Massey and his fiancée Hana Giraldo, amid ongoing public scrutiny and concerns surrounding his recent social media behaviour. The outing comes as Bieber faces backlash for a now-deleted Instagram caption about his wife Hailey Bieber‘s Vogue cover, which many fans deemed insensitive.
Bieber, 31, appeared relaxed during the casual bank visit, sporting a graphic print T-shirt and shorts. He was joined by Massey, 33, best known for his role as Cory Baxter on That’s So Raven, and Giraldo, the daughter of rock icon Pat Benatar. Massey wore an all-black outfit paired with a red baseball cap. The trio’s outing comes as Bieber continues to make headlines for his online posts and erratic behaviour. Notably, Bieber and Massey have a long-standing friendship that dates back to 2015, when Massey’s apartment was reportedly broken into by Bieber’s friend, rapper Lil Twist. The incident led to Twist being sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest to multiple charges.
Who is Kyle Massey?
Kyle Orlando Massey, born on August 28, 1991, in Atlanta, Georgia, began his acting career with a role in The Wizard of Oz. His breakthrough came in 2003 when he was cast as Cory Baxter, the scheming, money-minded younger brother in the hit Disney Channel sitcom That’s So Raven. Massey went on to star in the Disney Channel Original Movie Life Is Ruff (2005), which featured his hip-hop track “It’s a Dog.” He also appeared in the music video for the animated series Yin Yang Yo, which premiered in 2006. In 2007, Massey reprised his beloved role in Cory in the House, a spin-off centered around his character’s adventures in the White House.
Massey has faced serious allegations in recent years. In July 2021, he was charged with a felony for immoral communication with a minor, stemming from accusations that he sent sexually explicit material to a 13-year-old girl. Massey denied the claims through his attorney, stating, “No child should ever be exposed to sexually explicit materials and I unequivocally and categorically deny any alleged misconduct.” These charges followed a 2019 civil lawsuit seeking $1.5 million in damages for similar allegations. The lawsuit was later dropped. A report by The Daily Beast also detailed further accusations from multiple women, who alleged Massey contacted them while they were minors via social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram.
Bieber slammed for comments on Hailey’s Vogue cover
Bieber’s appearance came just days after he faced backlash for an Instagram post congratulating Hailey Bieber on her Vogue cover. In the post, he recalled a past argument where he told his wife she would “never be on the cover of Vogue,” a remark that many interpreted as unnecessarily harsh and backhanded despite his attempt at humor. “Yo this reminds me when Hailey and I got into a huge fight, I told Hails that she would never be on the cover of Vogue. Yikes, I know, so mean,” Bieber wrote, later adding, “clearly I was sadly mistaken.” The caption was eventually edited and replaced with a shrugging emoji following criticism from fans. Many followers labeled the comment “unnecessary” and questioned why he chose to publicly share such a private moment. “It’s okay to have secrets, Justin,” one user wrote, while another added, “You couldn’t waterboard this information out of me.”
“Why is he still friends with Kyle Massey?”
Social media was quick to react, with one user writing, “Supporting Chris Brown, still friends with Kyle Massey… Justin Bieber is getting away with his problematic actions.” Another added sarcastically, “GO MASSEY GO,” while many echoed the sentiment, “Why is he still friends with Kyle Massey?” “One thing about abusers — they’ll always stand by their abuser friends. So this isn’t surprising when you look at his own record,” commented a user. Another wrote, “He’s right, he’s no victim. He’s just like them,” referring to Bieber’s previous claim that he was not a victim of alleged abuse by Sean “Diddy” Combs.