Justin Bieber and the Kardashian-Jenner family have been linked for several years. They have been photographed hanging out numerous times, the ladies are close friends with Justin’s wife Hailey Bieber, and Khloé Kardashian even lived in Justin’s former house.

There have also been rumors that Justin has dated not one, not two, not three, but four Kardshian-Jenner sisters: Kendall, Kylie, Kourtney, and Kim.

This time, we’re doing a deep dive on one sister in particular — Kim — and whether she’s ever been called “Baby” by the crooner.

Justin Bieber and the Kardashians: What’s the connection?
The Bieber-KarJenner connection started with Kim. When Kim was 29 and Justin was 16, they posed together in a photoshoot for Elle. Some of the images were suggestive, such as the pair running on the beach holding hands in wet clothes.

This inappropriate age gap between Justin and Kim met the pair with controversy. At the time, TV host Bill O’Reilly said, “I’ll tell you this: If a 16-year-old girl was pictured with a 29-year-old man in any of that, he’d be in big trouble. Game over.”

When images from the photoshoot resurfaced more recently, people were also appalled that the photoshoot was allowed to happen.

“As I kid I was so jealous when I saw these pictures, but as an adult,” one Reddit user wrote on this thread. “[This is] so cringe and low-key inappropriate.”

“It’s high-key inappropriate,” another responded. “Justin is and looks like a baby — it’s disturbing. If genders were reversed, this would have never been printed.”

After the photoshoot, Justin posted one of the images on X (formerly Twitter) and jokingly referred to Kim as his “girlfriend.”

Some fans didn’t take kindly to the joke and began sending the reality star death threats. This prompted Justin to take action and clarify their relationship status… but not without sending a flirty comment Kim’s way.

“Ladies, calm down. @kimkardashian is a friend,” he wrote on X. “A very sexy friend, but a friend. No need for threats. Let’s all be friends and hang out often.”

Kim also defended their photoshoot in interviews.
In 2010, Kim made controversial comments during an appearance on Lopez Tonight.

She claimed that she would date the “Peaches” singer if he was “of legal age.” At the time of her comments, Justin was only 16.

“He definitely has this swag to him,” she said. “You just have to meet him. I thought that the shoot was all in fun,” she said in response to the photoshoot’s criticism. “We had a good time. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion about it.”

Justin returned the favor by making kind comments about Kim.
In a 2012 interview with GQ, he defended the star when one of his entourage made mean comments about her.

“You guys are so mean, bro… People say she doesn’t do anything,” he shared. “She actually does do stuff… She works hard.”

Now that Justin is married to Hailey Bieber, it’s unclear whether the rumors about Justin and Kim will ever be set straight.