Trending News Channel

Justin Bieber seemed poised this week to become the next celebrity sex-tape cautionary tale—and to make a lot of obsessive fans either very happy or unhappy. Alas, it was not to be.

The would-be scandal began earlier this week, when Biebs said his computer had been stolen and that “personal footage” was among the loot. Hungry tabloids naturally took this to mean a sex tape or other embarrassing material. A man on Twitter claimed to have a bombshell, and Belieber nation became particularly roused when Justin tweeted, “No matter what you have and what you post tomorrow i know my fans wont leave me. screw it. #toostrong.”

But on the day that was supposed to be the big reveal, fans began to smell a shaggy haired rat: Today also happens to be the day the new Bieber-Nicki Minaj music video drops. So was this all a PR stunt to sell a “scandalous” collaboration? Fans and disappointed gossip sites seem to think so. Gawker had a blunt message for Bieber: "Next time you cry ‘stolen personal footage,’ have the decency to be naked."