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Justin Bieber Looks Back on His 2014 DUI, Drag Racing Arrest

Celebrity DUIs are the equivalent of watching a trainwreck in real-time, since, most of the time, they double as confirmation of long-standing rumors of troubled behavior and, more often than not, signal the beginning of a proverbial fall from grace. Just ask Justin Bieber.
Justin Bieber is hauled away by cops after DUI, drag racing and resisting arrest (Miami, 2014} 8 photos
Photo: Instagram / Justin Bieber
Mel Gibson's mugshot for DUI in 2006Justin Bieber manages a smile after DUI, drug racing, speeding arrestThe many mugshots of Lindsay Lohan, 2 of them for DUI and assorted chargesParis Hilton serving glamor for her DUI mugshotAmanda Bynes was arrested twice for DUI and hit and run, in 2012 and 2014Tiger Woods' mugshot for DUICharles Barkley got busted for DUI, tried to bribe his way out of the charge
Humanity as a whole is still fascinated by the cult of celebrity and that means that, the higher the level of adoration directed at one particular star, the higher the scrutiny and apparent glee at each misstep. Back when Justin Bieber was still a teen idol, he too went through a dark phase, and it too involved a DUI bust.

It happened in 2014 in Miami, following a couple of years of intense speculation about how he was running with the wrong crowd, drinking, doing drugs, and basically being the opposite of what a teen idol should be. Hilariously, given his baby-face, soft-spoken and very clean public persona, Bieber was arrested for DUI because he’d taken his yellow Lamborghini drag racing on the streets of Miami.

He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, resisting arrest without violence and driving without a valid license. His arraignment is available in the video below. The charges were eventually reduced to reckless driving and resisting arrest after he copped a plea.

In the Bieber history, this was a pivotal moment, Bieber himself says in a new post on Instagram. It marked the moment he realized he “was hurting, unhappy, confused, angry, mislead, misunderstood and angry at God.” And that he was wearing “too much leather for someone in Miami,” which is very true: his now-iconic arrest photos show him in a pair of leather culottes.

Bieber is now a born again Christian, a husband, fashion designer and still very successful pop star, so he can look back on what he calls “not [his] finest hour,” recognize it for what it was, and be able to urge his fans and followers to not “allow shame to ruin your ‘today’.”

This sounds like the typical discourse from a born again Christian and especially from a celebrity, but in Bieber’s case, it’s probably true. Of the many kid stars going through a similar coming-of-age-type of experience involving alcohol / drugs and driving offenses, he’s one of the lucky ones to say he’s been able to turn it around and start over again.

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Editor's note: Pictured in the gallery, the most outrageous celebrity DUIs.

About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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