Justin Bieber hit with $9M lawsuit after fans' screaming 'frenzy'

A concert-going mom says the screams of "Beliebers" have permanently damaged her ears. Justin Bieber, seen here, is accused of whipping his fans into a frenzy. (Jacques Brinon/Associated Press)

The roar of Justin Bieber's fans was just too much for one Oregon woman, who has filed a $9,230,000 lawsuit that claims her hearing was permanently damaged at one of his shows.

Stacey Alexandra Wilson Betts, who took her daughter to the Portland concert on July 14, 2010, says the teen heartthrob worked his already fervent "Beliebers" into an ear splitting "frenzy of screams."

The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Oregon, claims the singer "enticed the crowd" by waving his arms in an upward motion while riding over them in a heart-shaped gondola.

She said he also created a "wave-like" effect by pointing into various sections of the arena.

One fan posted a short clip from the Rose Quarter concert.



"The gondola that Justin Bieber was suspended in acted as a sound conductor, creating a sound blast that permanently damaged both of my ears," claimed Betts.

The concert-going mom alleges that her injuries include hearing loss, severe tinnitus (ringing and other noise that originates inside the ear) and hyperacusis (oversensitivity to sounds at certain frequencies).

"I am an ordinary person who bought a service. I took my daughter to a pop concert," she wrote. "I had no reasonable way to anticipate the gondola could create a sound blast that would permanently damage my ears."

The suit, which was posted online by TMZ, names Bieber, his record label, the concert promoter and the venue owner. In addition to damages, Betts wants her court costs, attorneys' fees and other suit-related expenses covered.

For their part, the Beliebers sounded off on social media. Few showed sympathy for the woman, as most tweets resembled this one:

A woman is suing Justin for 9 million cause his concert was too loud and it hurt her ears. IT'S JUSTIN FRICKING BIEBER. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT!

-- SWΔG ♔(@BiebersFinger) July 13, 2012

Have you ever been to a loud concert that left you reeling? If so, did you wear earplugs or make other efforts to protect your hearing?

To what extent do you think artists, venues and show organizers should protect concertgoers from hearing damage, if at all?



(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' replies.)