Monday 3 February 2014

I survived 8 years of heroin addiction





  • Tracey Helton Mitchell says her drug addiction spiraled after she was given painkillers

  • She says she wound up homeless in San Francisco's Tenderloin district

  • The underlying cause of addiction can be painful to confront, she says

  • "There are many roads to recovery," Mitchell writes




Editor's note: Tracey Helton Mitchell lives in the San Francisco area and publishes a blog about her life and recovery. She is finishing a book, "Black Tar Heroin and Beyond."


(CNN) -- In many ways, my life is ordinary and extraordinary at the same time.


I am a working mother with three young children ages 2, 4 and 6. I got them dressed today. We fought over wearing hats because it was cold outside. I packed their snacks. I dropped them off and kissed their chubby cheeks. I am the PTA treasurer for my daughter's school. I am a volunteer in the community.


I am a wife to a partner I have been with nearly 14 years. I live in a suburb. I have all the trappings of a comfortable life. I am content in my daily life.


What sets me apart from the typical soccer mom is that I am an outspoken recovering heroin addict. Many people might be familiar with my story from the movie "Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street."





A look at heroin's deadly grip

I agreed to be featured in the film because I thought it would live on after I died from an overdose as a testimonial to the dangers of drug addiction.


Yet I survived eight years of heroin addiction. I was one of the lucky few from that time period when treatment options and evidence-based treatment solutions were limited.


I started my journey as a heroin addict while a college student in Cincinnati. I had been given Vicodin after removal of my wisdom teeth.


I fell in love with that feeling opiates provided me. My burdens seemed to slip away under the influence. I longed for that feeling.


After experimenting with many drugs, I found opiates provided me with the ability to forget my problems. No longer was I obsessed with feeling different. I was happy with being numb.


My addiction quickly spiraled until I ended up being a homeless junkie in the streets of San Francisco's Tenderloin district.


At first I was doing the drugs, but in short order the drugs began to control every aspect of my life. I was living on the streets and in and out of rat-infested hotels. In a few short years, I was completely unrecognizable as my former self.


My last day using was February 26, 1998. I was injecting heroin into the soles of my feet because I no longer had any usable veins. I could barely walk, I was emaciated, and I was relieved when I was arrested that night. I spent my first months off drugs in the San Francisco County Jail.


This was not my first time detoxing from heroin. Fortunately, it would be my last time. I was able to get into a treatment program followed by a sober-living house, where I lived for four years.


In the years I have been off heroin, I have struggled with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. Many addicts find that once the drugs are removed, the underlying cause to the use can be nearly as painful as the use itself.


When the drugs are removed, there can be an overwhelming sense of sadness. Getting clean can be seen as the ultimate solution. When the veil of chemicals lifts, the person may not like what is revealed to him or her.


I dealt with these feelings without using heroin. However, the thought crossed my mind many times that relief can easily be found at the bottom of a spoon. That is part of my affliction.


Everyone has a different treatment story. The reality for me was and is that stopping use of the substance is relatively easy compared with staying off drugs.


The lifetime commitment to abstinence from drugs is what kills many people. When they have cravings to use, the stigma attached to heroin use forces them to deal or not deal with their affliction in private.


This decision is frequently fatal, as in the case of Philip Seymour Hoffman. If we were courageous enough to try to conquer our insatiable desire for heroin, we feel weak telling another person that we feel like using is once again a viable option.


I know these feelings. Fifteen years later, I still deal with the stigma of being a heroin addict. The track marks and scars are visible, but the pain of longing lies deep under the surface. Many heroin addicts are embarrassed to admit they ever had a problem with this powerful substance.


If you are open about it, it triggers speculation and scrutiny as to your personal well-being. Addiction is a medical condition, yet there is little sympathy because society views it to be self-inflicted.


I have chosen a different path for myself. I chose to be completely open about my experience in hope that others can learn that recovery is possible.


What will I tell my children? They are too young to understand drugs, but they know I used to be homeless. I want them to understand how fortunate they are in hopes they will not go down the same path.


What do I say when people see the movie and contact me through social media looking for answers to their own addiction? There are many roads to recovery. The path that I followed worked for me, but I cannot dictate what may work for another user struggling to get off drugs. I can only share my experience.


I have spent my second chance at life teaching both harm reduction and overdose prevention because all of us have a life worth saving. I feel blessed I am able to bring a voice and a face to the issue.



Knox's ex: I was ready to celebrate





  • "I still have to fight," Raffaele Sollecito tells CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360"

  • Sollecito and ex-girlfriend Amanda Knox convicted a second time in Italian courts

  • Knox's roommate, Meredith Kercher, was killed in 2007




(CNN) -- The ex-boyfriend of American exchange student Amanda Knox says he has returned to Italy to fight his new murder conviction in the death of Knox's onetime roommate, Meredith Kercher.


In a CNN interview Monday evening, Raffaele Sollecito said he and his current girlfriend were in neighboring Austria, preparing to celebrate what he had expected to be his exoneration by an Italian court. Instead, that court found Knox and Sollecito guilty for a second time last week, sentencing him to 25 years.


Knox, who returned to the United States after her 2009 conviction was overturned, said last week that she "will never go willingly" back to Italy. But Sollecito said he came back "as soon as I understood the verdict."


"I'm trying to be as positive as possible in a situation like this," he said. "It's very traumatic, the situation here now. But on the other side, I still have to fight. I have chosen to be here and to fight against this ordeal."









Appeals Court Judge Alessandro Nencini, center, reads out the verdict for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Florence, Italy, on Thursday, January 30, 2014. The appeals court upheld the convictions of U.S. student Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito for the 2007 murder of her British roommate. Knox was sentenced to 28 1/2 years in prison, raising the specter of a long legal battle over her extradition. Sollecito's sentence was 25 years.Appeals Court Judge Alessandro Nencini, center, reads out the verdict for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Florence, Italy, on Thursday, January 30, 2014. The appeals court upheld the convictions of U.S. student Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito for the 2007 murder of her British roommate. Knox was sentenced to 28 1/2 years in prison, raising the specter of a long legal battle over her extradition. Sollecito's sentence was 25 years.



Sollecito, left, and his father Francesco leave after attending the final hearing before the verdict on January 30. After nearly 12 hours of deliberation, the court reinstated the guilty verdict first handed down against Knox and Sollecito in 2009.Sollecito, left, and his father Francesco leave after attending the final hearing before the verdict on January 30. After nearly 12 hours of deliberation, the court reinstated the guilty verdict first handed down against Knox and Sollecito in 2009.



Patrick Lumumba, the Congolese bartender Knox originally accused of Kercher's murder, talks to the press outside the courthouse during a break form the appeal trial of Knox and Sollecito on September 30.Patrick Lumumba, the Congolese bartender Knox originally accused of Kercher's murder, talks to the press outside the courthouse during a break form the appeal trial of Knox and Sollecito on September 30.



Knox appears on NBC's "Today" show. Knox spent four years in jail because of murder charges in the death of her roommate Meredith Kercher while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy.Knox appears on NBC's "Today" show. Knox spent four years in jail because of murder charges in the death of her roommate Meredith Kercher while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy.



Knox and her former boyfriend Sollecito were convicted in 2009 to 25 years in prison (Sollecito got 26 years). The conviction was overturned in 2011 for "lack of evidence." But Italy's Supreme Court decided last year to retry the case, saying the jury that acquitted them didn't consider all the evidence and that discrepancies in testimony needed to be answered.Knox and her former boyfriend Sollecito were convicted in 2009 to 25 years in prison (Sollecito got 26 years). The conviction was overturned in 2011 for "lack of evidence." But Italy's Supreme Court decided last year to retry the case, saying the jury that acquitted them didn't consider all the evidence and that discrepancies in testimony needed to be answered.



Meredith Kercher, a 21-year-old British exchange student, was found dead with her throat slit in an apartment she shared with Knox on November 2, 2007.Meredith Kercher, a 21-year-old British exchange student, was found dead with her throat slit in an apartment she shared with Knox on November 2, 2007.



When Knox was detained for questioning in 2007, she implicated Lumumba, the owner of a bar where Knox worked. Lumumba was taken into custody and released after two weeks in prison when his alibi was corroborated. He later won a libel suit against Knox.When Knox was detained for questioning in 2007, she implicated Lumumba, the owner of a bar where Knox worked. Lumumba was taken into custody and released after two weeks in prison when his alibi was corroborated. He later won a libel suit against Knox.



Sollecito, Knox's boyfriend at the time of the murder, was convicted in December 2009 with Knox and released when their cases were overturned. Prosecutors testified that police scientists found Sollecito's genetic material on a bra clasp of Kercher's found in her room, while his defense claimed there wasn't enough DNA for a positive ID. Sollecito, Knox's boyfriend at the time of the murder, was convicted in December 2009 with Knox and released when their cases were overturned. Prosecutors testified that police scientists found Sollecito's genetic material on a bra clasp of Kercher's found in her room, while his defense claimed there wasn't enough DNA for a positive ID.



Rudy Hermann Guede, an Ivory Coast native raised in Perugia, was convicted separately from Knox and Sollecito and is now serving 16 years. Guede admitted to being with Kercher on the night she died, but said he didn't kill her. Both Knox and Sollecito argued that he was the killer, and Guede suggested the couple took Kercher's life.Rudy Hermann Guede, an Ivory Coast native raised in Perugia, was convicted separately from Knox and Sollecito and is now serving 16 years. Guede admitted to being with Kercher on the night she died, but said he didn't kill her. Both Knox and Sollecito argued that he was the killer, and Guede suggested the couple took Kercher's life.



Meredith Kercher's family lawyer Francesco Maresca, left, argued in court in 2011 that the multiple stab wounds implied more than one aggressor killed Kercher. Pictured from left are Maresca, Kercher's father John, sister Stephanie, brother Lyle and brother John at a press conference in 2008.Meredith Kercher's family lawyer Francesco Maresca, left, argued in court in 2011 that the multiple stab wounds implied more than one aggressor killed Kercher. Pictured from left are Maresca, Kercher's father John, sister Stephanie, brother Lyle and brother John at a press conference in 2008.



Carlo Dalla Vedova, one lawyer on Knox's defense team, argued in court that "the only possible decision to take is that of absolving Amanda Knox" in his closing argument for her appeal hearing.Carlo Dalla Vedova, one lawyer on Knox's defense team, argued in court that "the only possible decision to take is that of absolving Amanda Knox" in his closing argument for her appeal hearing.



Carlo Pacelli represented Patrick Lumumba in his civil suit case. He called Knox two-faced and a "she-devil." Carlo Pacelli represented Patrick Lumumba in his civil suit case. He called Knox two-faced and a "she-devil."



Giulia Bongiorno, the lead lawyer on Raffaele Sollecito's defense team, compared Knox to Jessica Rabbit on the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" Knox is not bad, just "drawn that way," Bongiorno said in her closing statements in the 2011 trial.Giulia Bongiorno, the lead lawyer on Raffaele Sollecito's defense team, compared Knox to Jessica Rabbit on the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" Knox is not bad, just "drawn that way," Bongiorno said in her closing statements in the 2011 trial.




The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial

The Knox-Sollecito retrial






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Photos: The Knox-Sollecito retrialPhotos: The Knox-Sollecito retrial






Guilty...once again

Italian police said Sollecito was stopped in the northern Italian town of Udine, near the border with Austria and Slovenia.


In an interview on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," Sollecito said he thought his relationship with Knox hurt him.


"Why do they convict me?" he said. "Why do put me on the corner and say that I'm guilty just because in their minds I have to be guilty because I was her boyfriend. It doesn't make any sense to me."


Kercher, 21, of Great Britain, was found stabbed to death in 2007 in the house she shared with Knox in Perugia, where both women were exchange students. Prosecutors said Kercher was killed after she rejected attempts by Knox, Sollecito and another man, Ivory Coast-born Rudy Guede, to involve her in a sex game.


Guede is the only person in jail for the murder, and many aspects of the crime still remain unexplained.


Both Knox and Sollecito have maintained their innocence, and their 2009 convictions led to questions about the effectiveness of Italy's justice system. The trial revealed widespread doubts over the handling of the investigation and key pieces of evidence, and the convictions were overturned on appeal in 2011.


But in March 2013, Italy's Supreme Court overturned the pair's acquittals and ordered a retrial. That proceeding resulted in the convictions being reinstated on Thursday.


"I don't know what to think, because objectively, there's nothing against me and nothing very strong against Amanda," Sollecito said.


Watch Anderson Cooper 360° weeknights 10pm ET. For the latest from AC360° click here.



Bieber settles suit with ex-bodyguard






Justin Bieber had<a href='http://ift.tt/1hnQjU7'> a rough 2013</a>, and 2014 doesn't appear to be shaping up much better. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers searched an airplane -- thought to be the one pictured -- carrying Bieber and others on January 31, at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. Officers said they detected an odor of what seemed like marijuana after the plane landed, law enforcement sources told CNN. It's just the latest development in a series of troubles for the pop star.Justin Bieber had a rough 2013, and 2014 doesn't appear to be shaping up much better. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers searched an airplane -- thought to be the one pictured -- carrying Bieber and others on January 31, at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. Officers said they detected an odor of what seemed like marijuana after the plane landed, law enforcement sources told CNN. It's just the latest development in a series of troubles for the pop star.

 <a href='http://ift.tt/1grJKmo'>Bieber turned himself in</a> at a Toronto police station on January 29, facing an assault charge stemming from an encounter with a limousine driver in December. Bieber turned himself in at a Toronto police station on January 29, facing an assault charge stemming from an encounter with a limousine driver in December.

On January 23, <a href='http://ift.tt/1mwGvYe' target='_blank'>Bieber was arrested on suspicion of DUI and drag racing,</a> according to police in Miami Beach, Florida. Bieber is seen here with model Chantel Jeffries the night before his arrest.On January 23, Bieber was arrested on suspicion of DUI and drag racing, according to police in Miami Beach, Florida. Bieber is seen here with model Chantel Jeffries the night before his arrest.

On January 14, authorities swarmed Bieber's mansion in Calabasas, California, in connection with an investigation into a report of an egg-throwing incident at a neighbor's house. A friend of the singer's was arrested on a felony drug charge, and <a href='http://ift.tt/1mcS5dS' target='_blank'>Bieber's phone was seized as part of the investigation.</a>On January 14, authorities swarmed Bieber's mansion in Calabasas, California, in connection with an investigation into a report of an egg-throwing incident at a neighbor's house. A friend of the singer's was arrested on a felony drug charge, and Bieber's phone was seized as part of the investigation.

Right before 2014 kicked off, Bieber threatened to retire after a spate of bad publicity, including being accused of everything from <a href='http://ift.tt/1aqb1h7'>speeding to spitting.</a> The news made <a href='http://ift.tt/1kD6vpl'>Beliebers very sad</a>.Right before 2014 kicked off, Bieber threatened to retire after a spate of bad publicity, including being accused of everything from speeding to spitting. The news made Beliebers very sad.

While on tour in early November, Bieber yet again made headlines, this time with some sex-related scandal. The <a href='http://ift.tt/HmlH8a' target='_blank'>New York Post's Page Six</a> alleged that Bieber had been spotted exiting a brothel while in Brazil. Then, <a href='http://ift.tt/1kD6yBq' target='_blank'>a YouTube video</a> sparked gossip that he'd done something less than innocent with the young woman featured in the clip. Bieber's camp has had no response on the chatter. While on tour in early November, Bieber yet again made headlines, this time with some sex-related scandal. The New York Post's Page Six alleged that Bieber had been spotted exiting a brothel while in Brazil. Then, a YouTube video sparked gossip that he'd done something less than innocent with the young woman featured in the clip. Bieber's camp has had no response on the chatter.

Was he saving his energy for his fans, or just courting more controversy? In October, the day after a concert in Beijing, Bieber was snapped letting his bodyguards <a href='http://ift.tt/1hkxj6L'>carry him up the stairs</a> at the Great Wall of China.Was he saving his energy for his fans, or just courting more controversy? In October, the day after a concert in Beijing, Bieber was snapped letting his bodyguards carry him up the stairs at the Great Wall of China.

A leaked video in July <a href='http://ift.tt/1528g3s' target='_blank'>seemed to show Bieber relieving himself in a janitor's mop bucket</a> and then spraying a photo of Bill Clinton with what appeared to be a cleaner fluid while saying, "F*** Bill Clinton." <a href='http://ift.tt/1aqb1Oa' target='_blank'>Bieber later apologized to the former president</a>, but personalities like <a href='http://ift.tt/1kD6yl4' target='_blank'>Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali had a field day.</a>A leaked video in July seemed to show Bieber relieving himself in a janitor's mop bucket and then spraying a photo of Bill Clinton with what appeared to be a cleaner fluid while saying, "F*** Bill Clinton." Bieber later apologized to the former president, but personalities like Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali had a field day.

In June, another chapter was added to Bieber's history book of driving drama. The singer was <a href='http://ift.tt/1aqaZWD'>reportedly involved</a> in a Los Angeles accident involving a pedestrian.In June, another chapter was added to Bieber's history book of driving drama. The singer was reportedly involved in a Los Angeles accident involving a pedestrian.

As Bieber accepted the Milestone Award at the Billboard Music Awards in May, "very loud boos" competed with "very loud cheers," <a href='http://ift.tt/1kD6wcT' target='_blank'>the magazine reported. </a>As Bieber accepted the Milestone Award at the Billboard Music Awards in May, "very loud boos" competed with "very loud cheers," the magazine reported.

Earlier in May, a fan rushed Bieber on stage and <a href='http://ift.tt/1aqb1NY'>attempted to grab him</a> during a concert in the United Arab Emirates. Also that month, a safe in a stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, <a href='http://ift.tt/1kD6wcO' target='_blank'>was raided after a Bieber performance. </a>Earlier in May, a fan rushed Bieber on stage and attempted to grab him during a concert in the United Arab Emirates. Also that month, a safe in a stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, was raided after a Bieber performance.

In April, Bieber visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam -- <a href='http://ift.tt/1kD6wcL'>and was promptly criticized for saying</a> that he hoped the teen, who died in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, would have been a "Belieber." Visitors to the Anne Frank Facebook page had plenty to say. "Glad he went, but, the last sentence is VERY self serving. he missed the lessons of Anne totally," wrote one observer.In April, Bieber visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam -- and was promptly criticized for saying that he hoped the teen, who died in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, would have been a "Belieber." Visitors to the Anne Frank Facebook page had plenty to say. "Glad he went, but, the last sentence is VERY self serving. he missed the lessons of Anne totally," wrote one observer.

Bieber lost his pet monkey, Mally, when the capuchin <a href='http://ift.tt/1aqaZWl' target='_blank'>was taken by custom officials in Germany</a> at the end of March. Mally is shown here in the quarantine station at the Munich-Riem animal shelter in Munich.Bieber lost his pet monkey, Mally, when the capuchin was taken by custom officials in Germany at the end of March. Mally is shown here in the quarantine station at the Munich-Riem animal shelter in Munich.

Unfortunately for Bieber, his 19th birthday in March was kind of a downer. After being snubbed by the Grammys, Bieber headed for London to celebrate his big day. But it ended up being what he tweeted was his <a href='http://ift.tt/1aqb1xt'>"worst birthday."</a> Not only was he ragged on by actress Olivia Wilde for going shirtless in the city, he also had a bit of beef with a "weak a** club."Unfortunately for Bieber, his 19th birthday in March was kind of a downer. After being snubbed by the Grammys, Bieber headed for London to celebrate his big day. But it ended up being what he tweeted was his Not only was he ragged on by actress Olivia Wilde for going shirtless in the city, he also had a bit of beef with a "weak a** club."

Bieber <a href='http://ift.tt/1aqb1xw' target='_blank'>ticked off his fans in March</a> after he showed up a reported two hours late to a concert at London's O2 Arena. He disputed that in a tweet, however, saying he was only 40 minutes behind schedule.Bieber ticked off his fans in March after he showed up a reported two hours late to a concert at London's O2 Arena. He disputed that in a tweet, however, saying he was only 40 minutes behind schedule.

Bieber later wound up sick in a London hospital. Being a lusted-after star, it's not surprising that he tried to show how "well" he felt by posting a shirtless photo of himself online.Bieber later wound up sick in a London hospital. Being a lusted-after star, it's not surprising that he tried to show how "well" he felt by posting a shirtless photo of himself online.

Bieber and photographers, we've learned by now, don't mix. As he exited the hospital at the end of his turbulent week, the singer got into a shouting match with a paparazzo in London, <a href='http://ift.tt/Y0MB9I' target='_blank'>telling the photographer that he'd "f*** him up."</a>Bieber and photographers, we've learned by now, don't mix. As he exited the hospital at the end of his turbulent week, the singer got into a shouting match with a paparazzo in London, telling the photographer that he'd "f*** him up."

After he was <a href='http://ift.tt/1aqb1xC'>ragged on by Wilde</a> for going topless in London, Bieber strolled through a Polish airport terminal sans shirt on March 25.After he was ragged on by Wilde for going topless in London, Bieber strolled through a Polish airport terminal sans shirt on March 25.

At the end of January 2013, a Twitpic appearing to show the singer touching a female fan's chest went viral. <a href='http://ift.tt/1kD6vWh' target='_blank'>Both the "Belieber"</a><a href='http://ift.tt/1kD6vWh' target='_blank'> and Bieber's rep denied</a> he was touching her breast.At the end of January 2013, a Twitpic appearing to show the singer touching a female fan's chest went viral. Both the "Belieber" and Bieber's rep denied he was touching her breast.

In January 2013, Bieber was photographed holding what <a href='http://ift.tt/Upq5n4' target='_blank'>TMZ</a> identified as marijuana. He poked fun of the incident when he hosted <a href='http://ift.tt/1kD6vpp' target='_blank'>"Saturday Night Live" </a>in February. "I also heard he got busted for smoking weed and he's really sorry about it and that people make mistakes and that he's never going to do it again," Bieber said while playing a character during a skit with Vanessa Bayer.In January 2013, Bieber was photographed holding what TMZ identified as marijuana. He poked fun of the incident when he hosted "Saturday Night Live" in February. "I also heard he got busted for smoking weed and he's really sorry about it and that people make mistakes and that he's never going to do it again," Bieber said while playing a character during a skit with Vanessa Bayer.

On New Year's Day in 2013, a photographer <a href='http://ift.tt/Umxoxr'>was killed crossing the street</a> after taking pictures of Bieber's Ferrari. Bieber, who wasn't present at the scene, said in a statement: "While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim."On New Year's Day in 2013, a photographer was killed crossing the street after taking pictures of Bieber's Ferrari. Bieber, who wasn't present at the scene, said in a statement: "While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim."








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  • Moshe Benabou accused Justin Bieber of hitting him during a "tirade" in October 2012

  • "Justin Bieber repeatedly punched Moshe Benabou," the lawsuit said

  • Bieber's lawyer: "Resolved to the satisfaction of both parties and the case has been dismissed"




Los Angeles (CNN) -- Justin Bieber settled a legal dispute with a former bodyguard who had accused the pop star of attacking him backstage at a concert.


Moshe Benabou filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in January 2013 accusing Bieber of hitting him during a "tirade" in October 2012.


"The tirade was apparently triggered by what Justin Bieber perceived as an attempt by Moshe Benabou to keep one member of Mr. Bieber's entourage physically away from Justin Bieber," the lawsuit said. "As part of this tirade, Justin Bieber repeatedly punched Moshe Benabou in the chest and upper body area. Mr. Benabou did not retaliate or attempt to protect himself out of his concerns for Justin Bieber's physical well-being."


The lawsuit could have gone to trial in Los Angeles later this month if it had not been settled.


"The matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties, and the case has been dismissed," Bieber lawyer Howard Weitzman told CNN Monday.


Bieber, 19, was arrested last week in Toronto, accused of assaulting his limousine driver in December.


He also faces charges of drunken driving, resisting arrest and driving on an expired license after being stopped by police in Miami Beach, Florida, last month.


The Los Angeles County district attorney is considering whether to charge Bieber with felony vandalism in the egging of his neighbor's house on January 9, 2014.