He’s standing by his pal. Justin Bieber took to Instagram on Friday, May 3, to share a message of support to his friend and fellow musician, Chris Brown. But it was a bold move considering the 29-year-old R&B singer’s controversial past, and Justin, 25, got some major backlash from his own fans for publicly supporting Chris.

“Everyone wants to wait til people die to give them the credit they deserve,” Justin wrote in a caption of a meme comparing Chris’s talent to the late Michael Jackson and the late Tupac Shakur. “I’m calling it now when CB passes away after a long full life, you will miss what you had in front of you the whole time … trust me, watch. You will see. The people who have overlooked this man’s talent because of a mistake he made … you need to reevaluate! Love you @chrisbrownofficial.”

Chris took to the comments to thank Justin for his support. “I LOVE YOU MAN! THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN ME. YOUR STAR SHINES SO BRIGHT AND YOUR HEART IS UNMATCHED! YOU ARE A KING BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU WERE PUT HERE TO INSPIRE AND CREATE ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES BRO! I’M WITH YA TILL THE WHEELS FALL OFF AND WHEN THEY DO … WE GONE [sic] GET SOME NEW WHEELS,” he wrote.

justin bieber chris brown
Jason Kempin/BET/Getty Images for BET

Even though Justin and Chris’ bromance could be considered sweet, some of Justin’s fans didn’t agree with Justin’s point of view. “Domestic violence is not a mistake, he has caused life long trauma to the women he abused and you call it a mistake,” one fan wrote, and another commented, “Beating a woman IS NOT a mistake (among other things) is lack of character! Shame on you Justin. Disappointed but not surprised.”

Most pop music fans will never forgive Chris’ past or forgive him for what he did. On February 8, 2009, Chris assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna in a car on the way to a pre-Grammys party. The couple had gotten into an argument that turned into a physical altercation and Rihanna’s injuries were so bad that she had to seek hospital treatment.

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