The Kid Laroi praises ‘mentor’ Justin Bieber during talk at SXSW Sydney amid Diddy allegations: ‘Not a lot of people have experienced what he has’

The Kid Laroi has credited his longtime friend and ‘mentor’ Justin Bieber for helping him manage the plights of fame, amid accusations regarding Justin’s own former mentor Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

Speaking at his keynote speech at SXSW Sydney on Saturday, the 21-year-old Australian opened up about his friendship with the Peaches hitmaker, 30 — three years after collaborating on the hit single Stay.

‘Another person I wanted to highlight today … maybe a lot of people don’t understand how much of a good leader and mentor he is but Justin Bieber, especially in the past couple of years since meeting and (living) in Los Angeles,’ Laroi, born Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard, said.

‘Not a lot of people have experienced what he’s experienced and I know I certainly haven’t, I’ve experienced a small part of it, and he’s been a super big help to me.

‘For me, I always know when I have a question or when I’m confused about something, I find he’s probably the first person I go and speak to.’

Diddy, 54, has been charged with sex trafficking and related crimes and will likely spend about 10 years behind bars if found guilty, with upwards of 120 alleged victims already coming forward.

The rapper’s relationship with Justin has come under renewed scrutiny in the wake of the allegations, claims which Diddy denies.

Justin himself, a new father to Jack Blues with wife Hailey, 27, is said to feel ‘disgusted’ by the allegations against Diddy and wants ‘nothing to do with’ him.

The Kid Laroi has credited his friend and ‘mentor’ Justin Bieber for helping him manage the plights of fame, amid accusations regarding Justin’s own former mentor Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Earlier this month, a resurfaced interview clip with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Justin Bieber went viral following the rapper’s arrest.

It showed a smirking Diddy warning Justin not to talk about the things he does ‘with big brother Puff’, during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! together when the pop singer was only 16 years old.

During the interview, the pair reflected on the friendship that they had at the time, but one comment stood out to fans.

When Jimmy asked how they became friends, Diddy replied: ‘I think that we have become friends in a strange way. It’s like Rob & Big,’ a reference to skateboarder Rob Dyrdek and his bodyguard Christopher ‘Big Black’ Boykin.

Speaking at his keynote speech at SXSW Sydney on Saturday, the 21-year-old Australian opened up about his friendship with the Peaches hitmaker, 30 — three years after collaborating on the hit single Stay

Diddy, 54, has been charged with sex trafficking and related crimes and will likely spend about 10 years behind bars if found guilty

He added: ‘He’s, to a lot of us, he’s like a little brother. He’s not afraid to call and ask for advice. He’s somebody that industry-wise, the record industry is a strong family.

‘He’s somebody that we definitely have our arms around and we wanna protect him because he’s genuinely such a nice person besides his talents. He’s one of the greatest kids you could ever know.’

Jimmy then asked Justin: ‘You know, Diddy bought his son a Bentley, maybe he could buy you one also while you’re at it.’

The rapper’s relationship with Justin has come under renewed scrutiny in the wake of the allegations, claims which Diddy denies

Justin responded: ‘He got me a Lamborghini. I haven’t gotten it yet, though,’

Jimmy said: ‘When is that coming? That Lamborghini. We talked about this last time.’

In remarks, which have not aged well, Diddy explained: ‘The Lamborghini for a day or two and he had access to the house.

‘And he knows better than to be talking about the things that he does with big brother Puff on national television. Everything ain’t for everybody.’

Diddy was arrested last month at a New York City hotel and charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The star is set to remain in a Brooklyn jail until he stands trial in his sex trafficking case after a second judge refused to accept a $50million bail package offered by his lawyers.

US district judge Andrew L Carter Jr dismissed Combs’ request to be released to home detention with GPS monitoring, with the judge pointing out that the hip-hop mogul could potentially tamper with witnesses.

Combs pleaded not guilty to allegations of sex trafficking on September 19.

Justin himself, a new father to Jack Blues with wife Hailey, 27, is said to feel ‘disgusted’ by the allegations against Diddy and wants ‘nothing to do with’ him. Pictured: Justin and Hailey in 2022