The Bowmanville Zoo is in deeper animal doo-doo than usual after Justin Bieber's family denied their affiliation with an upcoming event.
Billed as "Bieber Family Fun Day," the event was scheduled to take place at the Ontario zoo this coming Sunday evening (August 28). A Facebook post beckoned fans to purchase a $295 ticket to "join the Bieber family in support of the animals of Bowmanville Zoo," promising that members of the Bieber family and "other mystery guests" would be in attendance.
But the famous family has taken to Twitter to distance themselves from any such event. The pop star's dad, Jeremy Bieber, denied their affiliation with the attraction and said that his family has no plans to support or attend the fundraiser.
Since the tweet went out yesterday evening (August 24), the zoo's initial Facebook post has been removed and the ticket sales page has been taken down.
A new Facebook post explains that the Bowmanville Zoo "had invited many celebrities including the Bieber family," but that the "have now been informed by the Bieber family that they are no longer attending this event."
Read the full post below.
Following complaints from patrons that the use of Bieber's name was a marketing ploy, ticketholders have been granted full refunds.
Bieber and his family did previously visit Bowmanville Zoo last April, though the singer's best known connection to the place came following accusations of illegally exhibiting lions in Toronto — lions that were reportedly loaned to him by the Bowmanville Zoo.
The zoo originally opened in 1919 but is slated to close at the end of this year due to low attendance.
Billed as "Bieber Family Fun Day," the event was scheduled to take place at the Ontario zoo this coming Sunday evening (August 28). A Facebook post beckoned fans to purchase a $295 ticket to "join the Bieber family in support of the animals of Bowmanville Zoo," promising that members of the Bieber family and "other mystery guests" would be in attendance.
But the famous family has taken to Twitter to distance themselves from any such event. The pop star's dad, Jeremy Bieber, denied their affiliation with the attraction and said that his family has no plans to support or attend the fundraiser.
My family is in no way affiliated or supports any zoo. Nor are we apart of or the host of any fundraiser.
— Jeremy Bieber (@JeremyBieber) August 24, 2016
Since the tweet went out yesterday evening (August 24), the zoo's initial Facebook post has been removed and the ticket sales page has been taken down.
A new Facebook post explains that the Bowmanville Zoo "had invited many celebrities including the Bieber family," but that the "have now been informed by the Bieber family that they are no longer attending this event."
Read the full post below.
Following complaints from patrons that the use of Bieber's name was a marketing ploy, ticketholders have been granted full refunds.
Bieber and his family did previously visit Bowmanville Zoo last April, though the singer's best known connection to the place came following accusations of illegally exhibiting lions in Toronto — lions that were reportedly loaned to him by the Bowmanville Zoo.
The zoo originally opened in 1919 but is slated to close at the end of this year due to low attendance.