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Justin Bieber compares treatment of paparazzi after car accident to death of Princess Diana

The pop star accused photographers of acting "recklessly" after his red Ferrari collided with a paparazzo’s Prius in West Hollywood

Jenn Selby
Thursday 28 August 2014 07:06 EDT

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In another episode of "Justin Bieber places foot firmly in mouth", the singer stirred further controversy by comparing a recent run-in he had with the paparazzi to the death of Princess Diana.

The pop star accused photographers of acting "recklessly" after his red Ferrari collided with a paparazzo’s Prius in West Hollywood.

US media reports suggest that the photographer had been tailing Bieber ahead of the accident.

He claims he was forced to slam on the breaks and perform and emergency stop in his Ferrari. Neither party were harmed in the incident, and the sportscar escaped with scratched paintwork.

Nevertheless, Bieber took to Twitter to voice his anguish over the event.

"There should be laws against what I just experienced," he wrote, before adding, perhaps melodramatically: "We should have learned from the death of Princess Diana...

"...I don't have a problem with Paparazzi but when they act recklessly they put us all in danger."

Princess Diana holding baby Prince Harry as she and Prince Charles leave St. Marys hospital in London, 1984
Princess Diana holding baby Prince Harry as she and Prince Charles leave St. Marys hospital in London, 1984

Diana, the Princess of Wales tragically died on 31 August in 1997 as the result of injuries sustained after she suffered a car crash in the Pont d’Alma road tunnel in Paris. She was 36. Her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz, Henri Paul, also perished. The bodyguard of Diana and Dodi, Trevor Rees-Jones, was the only survivor.

The media initially blamed paparazzi, who were following Diana’s vehicle, for the crash. However, a jury in 2008 concluded that the "unlawful killing" was caused by "the impairment of the judgment of the driver of the Mercedes through alcohol" as well as the drivers of the following vehicles.

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