Hailey Bieber Defends Fan During Sweet Encounter—Then Social Media Twisted the Story

May 4, 2025: Kristal Terrell had a positive experience meeting the 28-year-old model outside Nobu in New York City. Terrell and her friends ran into Bieber at the popular sushi hotspot, where the model stopped to chat and take pictures with them.

However, a security guard intervened just as Terrell was about to get her photo, placing his arm between her and Bieber in an attempt to halt the interaction. Bieber immediately stepped in, assuring the guard it was okay and checking in with Terrell to ensure she was unharmed.

“She told him, ‘You don’t need to put your hands on anyone,’” Terrell recalled in an interview with PEOPLE Magazine. “Then we proceeded to take the picture.”

Terrell had been filming the moment casually and posted it to TikTok for her small following of around 1,000 people. But within an hour, the clip went viral — and things took a turn.

Online users began misinterpreting the video. On platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, people started spreading edited versions of the footage that made it seem like Bieber was scolding Terrell. In the original clip, Bieber said, “I don’t like people putting their hands on anyone,” in reference to the security guard. But stripped of context, the internet took the line out of proportion.

One edited video included the caption “mean girl” and removed the security guard’s presence entirely, making it seem like Bieber was confronting Terrell instead. Misled viewers flooded the comments with confusion and criticism, calling Bieber out without understanding the full story.

“I was shocked,” Terrell said. “That’s when I decided to speak up. I made a new video explaining what really happened and included the full clip.”

She emphasized that Bieber had been kind and protective during the exchange. “She stood up for me when she didn’t have to,” Terrell explained. “Even if she had been setting a boundary, she would’ve been entirely within her right to do so. She’s a human being just like the rest of us.”

The situation highlights how quickly misinformation can spread on social media, especially when context is ignored in favor of viral narratives.