Justin Bieber surprises Sydney, arrives for Australian church conference
Canadian pop star 'is seeking to build stronger foundations into his life,' said Hillsong Church
Justin Bieber surprised fans in Sydney, Australia on Monday, where the pop star arrived to attend a convention for the Hillsong Pentecostal church.
The week-long conference is the latest move by the Canadian pop star who has expressed a desire to clean up his bad boy image.
Hillsong, which among other things celebrates Christian values through music, has taken over Sydney's Allphones Arena with nightly concert-like celebrations that champion "the cause of the local church everywhere," the organization says.
Despite the arena setting, Bieber is not expected to perform.
"He is not participating in the conference in any other capacity," the church's statement confirmed.
"Out of respect for his privacy we will not be making further comments."
Campaign of contrition
The 21-year-old Baby singer, who rocketed to fame at 13, made headlines a number of times last year for less-than ideal behaviour, including:
- Warring with photographers.
- Urinating into a restaurant mop bucket.
- Allegedly vandalizing hotels.
- Complaints he egged neighbours of his posh suburban L.A. home.
Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to assault and careless driving charges linked to an altercation with a motorist last summer near his hometown of Stratford, Ont.
The move follows a number of attempts by the young celebrity to remake his image, including kicking off the year with an uncomfortable appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, in which he conceded that he had "done some things that might not have been the greatest."
His apologetic tone continued at his Comedy Central roast in March, in which the singer expressed his desire to become "someone who you guys can all look at and be proud of."