Justin Bieber is battling to keep his squeaky-clean image after he was caught up in a pot scandal following a picture of him smoking a suspicious-looking roll-up.
We’re told that while he was just pictured with an alleged blunt in his hands, guests at the posh Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side recently complained to management about “a strong smell” emanating from rooms they believed were booked for Bieber and his group on the ninth floor.
Some guests at the luxurious Carlyle were asked to change floors because of smoke in the hallways while Bieber was staying in New York to perform at the Victoria’s Secret catwalk show in November, sources told Page Six.
But a source close to Bieber insisted the incident was a mistake and, following an investigation, the fruity fumes were actually found to be coming from the room of another rock star.
The source said: “It was a complete mix-up. Justin wasn’t even on the floor in question, it was actually coming from another star’s room. It has been a running joke on his team ever since.”
Photos have since emerged of the 18-year-old pop star smoking what looks like a blunt in a Newport Beach, Calif., hotel room on Wednesday, according to TMZ.
The Web site claims it obtained the snaps of Bieber holding the alleged blunt and laughing with friends including 19-year-old rapper Lil Twist.
A source told us, “Justin feels betrayed by someone who sold these pictures for $25,000 who he thought was a friend.”
After the publication of the pictures he tweeted, “Everyday growing and learning. trying to be better. u get knocked down, u get up . . . i never want to let any of you down. i love u. and thank u.”
And he came to Twist’s defense, saying, “We’ve been good friends for A LONG time.”
A rep for Bieber and his management declined to comment.