Justin Bieber and Marilyn Manson End T-Shirt Feud After Pop Star Apologizes for 'Coming Off as an A**hole'
For Justin Bieber, it wasn’t too late to say sorry.
The pop star, 23, apologized to Marilyn Manson over text message after the two singers were involved in a bitter battle that kicked off last week when Bieber began using an image of Manson, that was unauthorized by the rocker, on the front of a 2016, $195 Purpose Tour T-shirt with the phrase “Bigger Than Satan… Bieber” embroidered on the back.
During an interview with Howard Stern on Tuesday, Manson, 48, revealed since his comments about the singer — who he called “a real piece of s—” — and the T-shirt went public, Bieber reach out via text message.
The rocker even let the radio host read a couple of their text exchange.
“I thought we had a pretty pleasant interaction,” Stern repeated Bieber’s text to Manson. “Also, if anything wasn’t squared away with the T-shirts, I’m so sorry. Anyway, regardless, it kind of stung seeing that I came off as an assh— or even just was an assh—, I’m sorry?”
According to Stern’s reading of the messages, Manson’s response was: “You were just being you. No beef here.”
In another text, Bieber further apologized. “Honestly, I totally thought we hit it off. Again, my bad. If I was an assh—, that wasn’t my intention. Just want you to know that,” Stern said reading parts of a text from Bieber, who later added: “I don’t really care about the media. I just wanted to make sure you and I were good ’cause I like you.”
The much-talked-about shirt (designed by Fear of God’s Jerry Lorenzo) was said to be created with Manson’s permission. The only problem was, Manson apparently never signed off on the T-shirt — and wasn’t happy to see the shirt on Bieber when they met for the first time.
“He was [already] wearing the shirt that had his name on my shirt,” Manson, 48, told Consequence of Sound in a recent interview.
It wasn’t just that Bieber was wearing the shirt — it’s what he said to the goth rocker.
“He said to me, ‘I made you relevant again,’ ” Manson recalled, adding that the “Love Yourself” singer had taken credit for the idea of using Manson’s image on the merch. “Bad mistake to say to me. He was a real piece of s— in the way he had the arrogance to say that.”
But it appears the T-shirt drama is all water under the bridge.
“We are cool. People just made that shirt stuff into a fake feud,” Stern said reading Manson’s text to Bieber. “Let’s turn it upside down and f— the press and do something together. It will be the best. And don’t apologize. You weren’t an assh—. They asked if you were and I sort of agreed. I wasn’t out to get you. If not, I’ll try to avoid more questions today on Stern.”
Manson concluded by telling Stern: “He sassed me and he apologized, and I said I wouldn’t s— talk him, so I’m not going to s— talk him.”
