Rachel Decker
The Paw Print
The heat is on for 20-year-old Mariah Yeater, the young woman who is claiming that 17-year-old Justin Bieber is the father of her 3-month-old son. Yeater’s lawyers appeared on Dr. Drew’s talk show last Thursday urging Bieber to “step up and take” a paternity test.
However, it could turn out to be a risky affair for Yeater’s lawyers- if the tests come back and prove the Bieber is not the father, Yeater and her team could be facing a pretty hefty lawsuit from Bieber’s team, who has called the lawsuit “malicious,” “defamatory” and “demonstrably false.”
But Yeater’s team is holding true to the young woman’s claims, saying, “We think that’s highly unlikely, based on the evidence we have, not all of which has been released to the media. There’s credible evidence that supports he is the father.”
There’s also the potential for the paternity lawsuit to backfire. The LAPD may look into whether Yeater, who would have been nineteen when she had sex with 16-year-old Bieber, could possibly be charged with statutory rape. Yeater’s team was asked if Yeater’s paternity case is an admission to statutory rape, to which they responded, “not technically.” They then went on to add that even if Yeater is found guilty of rape, “that has no bearing whatsoever on the right for child support.”
Pictures have recently surfaced of Yeater, showing her with her many piercings and her tattoos. In several pictures, she is seen putting up her middle finger to the camera. In one picture, she even has saran wrap over her head. Many are turning against the young mother just for this, but her lawyers are saying that she is just like any other young girl these days.
Bieber is trying, in vain, to separate himself from this controversy. “Never met the woman,” he said on NBC’s “Today” show last Friday. “I’d just like to say, basically, that none of those allegations are true.” Bieber has also been reluctant to give a paternity test, but if the evidence that Yeater’s lawyers have is as credible as they’re letting on, Bieber could be forced to take one by court of law.
If Bieber is found to be the father, many wonder how much the pop star would have to pay in child support. “He is a very high income earner, but in the case of child support, it’s about finding a reasonable amount that is required to raise the child by the standards of the parent who will have custody,” said family law specialist Debra Opri. “If she thinks she’s going to get $500,000 a month, she’s wrong. $5,000 to $10,000 a month is more likely.”
Opri has also stated that if Bieber were her client, she would put off the paternity test as long as possible. “I wouldn’t volunteer a paternity test, I wouldn’t make it easy for her whatsoever,” she said. “I would make her life miserable.”
Whether Bieber is the father of Yeater’s child or not, this case will not go down lightly. “Either way, we’re looking at potential lawsuits,” said Yeater’s lawyers. “If he’s found to be the father, she could be facing charges of rape. If he’s not the father, she could be sued by Justin’s lawyer. It’s just not going to be a pretty case.”
What’s Been Said…