Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.

Amid Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex scandal, Justin Bieber’s name has been coming up frequently concerning the singer’s alleged abuse at the hands of Diddy and his associates. Most recently, old pictures of the Baby singer from a 2014 party have gone viral. In the pictures, Bieber, who was 19 at the time, is seen partying with the disgraced rapper. 

The eerie photos gained attention online as the singer posed alongside other music industry giants at Puff Daddy’s Ciroc celebration held at Atlanta nightclub Vanquish Lounge in February 2014. The Canadian singer opted to go bare-chested, donning dark, opaque sunglasses, gold chain necklaces, and a hat that he wore backwards while standing arm-in-arm with Diddy, per E! News. 

The now 30-year-old rubbed elbows with hip-hop stars like Rick Ross and Jermaine Dupri at the party. While the others were consuming alcohol, Bieber, who was still a teenager back then, was captured drinking alkaline water from the brand Aquahydrate that Diddy had invested in. The Yummy singer was dating then-girlfriend, Chantel Jeffries (21 at the time) and brought her along to the party. 

After the party was over, Bieber took to his Instagram and posted a photo of himself from the studio with Diddy, Dupri, Ross, Wale, and Stalley. According to MTV, the group was gathered to work on Ross’ album Mastermind. In the photograph, Bieber was seen bowing his head down while holding his hands in the prayer gesture. 

The images have resurfaced in the wake of Diddy’s arrest on September 16 after federal prosecutors ran a months-long investigation, raiding the music mogul’s mansions, and representing dozens of lawsuits filed by his victims who accused Diddy of sex trafficking, racketeering, and male prostitution charges. Some of them are reportedly minors who claimed that the musician and his associates at Bad Boy Records abused them in the guise of career opportunities. 

Bieber, who debuted in the music industry at the age of 15, was introduced to P.Diddy in 2009. In an old interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live from 2011, Diddy talked about his ‘strange’ friendship with Bieber while also sharing details of their musical collaboration. “I think that we have become friends in a strange way,” said Combs, to which Bieber quipped, “It’s like Rob & Big,” referring to skateboarder Rob Dyrdek and his bodyguard Christopher ‘Big Black’ Boykin, as per New York Post.

While referring to Bieber’s 48-hour video with Diddy, Kimmel asked when Bieber was getting the Lamborghini that Diddy promised, “When is that coming? That Lamborghini?” Diddy responded, “The Lamborghini for a day or two and he had access to the house. And he knows better than to be talking about the things that he does with big brother Puff on national television. Everything ain’t for everybody.” 

The Peaches hitmaker, who recently became a father with wife Hailey Baldwin Bieber, has been silent throughout Diddy’s arrest. But the insiders have said that though he believes that Bieber was “involved in some stupid sh*t,” he was a “teenager” back then, “everyone was worried about him,” and people “took advantage of everything he did,” as per News.com.au.