- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
TORONTO – Justin Bieber has a friend in Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.
The embattled politician, who like the Canadian pop phenom is rarely far from a media circus these days, on Thursday defended Bieber for youthful folly a day after the singer was charged in Toronto with assaulting a limo driver.
“You know what? He’s a young guy. At 19 years old, I wish I was as successful as he was,” the mayor told The Sports Junkies show on Washington, D.C., radio station 106.7 The Fan.
“He’s 19 years old, guys. Think about when you were 19,” Ford added after being asked whether Bieber should be deported from the U.S. after an online petition secured the 100,000 signatures required for review by the White House.
While supporting Bieber, Ford said he hadn’t met the Canadian superstar, and was no fan of his popular tunes.
“Honestly, I don’t even really follow his music. I’m 45 years old, so there is a big difference here,” the mayor said, adding he prefers classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and The Eagles.
Ford, who appears weekly on the Washington, D.C., radio station to offer odds on NFL games, picked the Denver Broncos to beat the Seattle Seahawks at the Super Bowl on Sunday.
“It won’t even be close,” he forecast.
Ford on Thursday competed for media headlines with Bieber after the mayor was slapped with a lawsuit from his brother-in-law over a brutal jailhouse beating.
“You know what guys, I can’t talk about it. It’s all before the courts. That’s all I got to say,” the mayor said when asked about his latest legal woes.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day