Justin Bieber is a powerful musical figure, which is why the GOP reportedly offered him $5 million to perform at a Republican event during the GOP Convention, but he turned it down thanks to LeBron James and his manager, Scooter Braun.
According to TMZ, sources connected with the agency that represents Bieber divulged that they received the offer through a promoter who told Bieber that the event was "not political." However, the performance would go down at a a venue near Quicken Loans Arena where the RNC took place and was funded by GOP donors.
Bieber is Canadian and not involved in American politics, but his longtime manager Braun is a huge Hillary Clinton supporter who has previously held a fundraiser for the Democratic Presidential Nominee in Los Angeles. Braun felt the offer was very political and at first allegedly spoke to Bieber about putting up Black Lives Matter banners around the venue, which was an idea rejected by the promoter. Bieber would also not be allowed to say anything negative about Trump or the GOP. Braun then told Bieber if he went ahead with the offer, he would have to stop representing him, which is pretty huge since Braun is the one that first discovered Bieber on YouTube and has loyally ridden the highs and lows of his career ever since.
The promoter didn't quit there. Instead, Bieber was told that LeBron James would also be at the event in Cleveland as a neutral figure to welcome the GOP to his native city, but it turned out that LeBron was not scheduled to be in Cleveland and his camp urged Bieber not to attend. Despite the money, Bieber turned down the offer.
