Justin Bieber Cracks Racist Joke With N-Word

Beliebers, believe this: Justin Bieber told a tasteless joke to pals a few years ago and used the N-word as a punchline, the Sun reports. "Why are black people afraid of chain saws?" he asked while hanging out backstage at a charity event as a teenager (TMZ says he was 15). A friend jumped in with, "Don't even say it, don't say it," notes the New York Post, but Bieber said it: "Run n–ger, n–ger, n–ger, n–ger, n–ger," in a voice imitating a chainsaw. (See the video here.)

The footage was apparently shot for his 2011 documentary, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (so he knew the camera was rolling), and Bieber's team offered "big bucks" to keep it on the cutting room floor, notes the Post. TMZ says it obtained the video 4 years back, but didn't post it because Bieber was so young "and immediately told his friends what he did was stupid." Sources close to Bieber say he's "frustrated and sad" that the video is out, and plans to comment publicly by tomorrow. (More Justin Bieber stories.)