Justin Bieber is lending his support in a big way to Lee Hirsch’s high-profile documentary Bully.
The Weinstein Co. announced Monday that Bieber is allowing his song “Born to be Somebody” — written by Diane Warren — to be used in a new television ad for the film, which chronicles the bullying epidemic in America’s schools.
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“My fans are always for supporting a great cause. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of as an entertainer,” Bieber said in a statement. “I hope they see Bully with their friends and help start the conversation so we can end bullying.”
The television spot premiered on Fandango on Monday. On Friday, Bully — after securing a PG-13 rating last week — expands into a total of 55 markets after playing in only Los Angeles and New York since March 30.
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Bully is been in the headlines for weeks after receiving an R rating for six uses of the word f–k. Harvey Weinstein and Hirsch unsucessfully fought to have the rating lowered, sparking off a national debate and galvanizing the support of politicians, community leaders and celebrities, such as Bieber.
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Last week, the Weinstein Co. resubmitted a version of the film that trimmed three uses of the word. The Classificiation and Ratings Administration voted to lower the film’s rating to a PG-13.
The ratings board has strict rules regarding language, and only allows one “f–k” in an R-rated film unless there is a two-thirds vote of the board allowing an exception. The resubmitted version of Bully was allowed such an exception.
Watch the new TV ad below:
