Watch: The Bromance Continues as Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith Catch Up with a Kiss at Coachella

Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 3 MIN.

Source: Screencap/Instagram

Pals Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith caught up at Coachella and electrified the internet. Viral video showed the two friends embracing and sharing a kiss in a moment of longstanding friendship.

"The two music superstars met up Saturday during the music festival's busy first weekend," TMZ said, "and, JS decided to surprise his best bro by embracing him from behind."

The writeup noted that "Bieber's face lights up when he looks back and sees it's Jaden who decides to move around and go for a real embrace from JB in a VIP area at the festival."

"That's when Justin plants a quick kiss on Jaden's cheek before breaking apart and catching up with his longtime friend," TMZ added, calling the greeting "a sweet moment between two former child stars."

Sweet indeed - though the internet's darker corners were quick to light up with claims that the greeting was sexual and trolls determined to see gays around every corner denouncing the greeting as "not normal."

"The Diddy Effect," one person posted in response to the clip being posted on Instagram. The comment seemingly referenced accusations of sexual assault various men have leveled at rapper Sean Combs, a.k.a. Diddy.

"Both of their great grandfathers are probably rolling in their grave right now wondering what the hell happened to men," another person chafed.

"Straight men don't greet each other this way," another declared. "Ask any straight man what would happen if a guy did this to them and see what they say."

Another cut to the chase with: "GAY 💯".

At Entertainment Tonight's YouTube post of the video, one individual asserted, "Yall in the comments saying 'who gives af , brotherly love, oh its nothing' like bro... he literally was grinding him from behind."

"This isnt normal even to my closest best friend," the comment went on. "Stop trying to brush this off".

Even those with no evident animus toward gay people seemed willing to sexualize the greeting.

"Everyone is always trying to figure out who's gay then expose it like 'BOOM! CAUGHT YA!' Who cares," one person posted. "Yes... people are sometimes attracted to the same sex. Let people do what they want in peace."

Plenty of others, though, shrugged off the gaysteria and chalked it up to high-spirited friends being glad to see each other.

Lamenting that "people always label folks gay," one person commented to the ET YouTube post with, "He just loves Justin a bromance... They have known each other for years."

"It's time that America normalized men showing men affection," another poster on Instagram said, before pointing out, "It happens all over the world and is not considered gay or strange."

"That's affection, pure and raw... Which is normal," another post on Instagram stated. "An on the spot and unplanned show of affection. Real love... What is wrong with our minds?"

Whatever the answer to that question might be, knee-jerk assumptions about sexuality have seemingly proliferated on social media platforms lately. Soccer star Noah Beck recently pushed back at online claims that he must be gay following a video from last year that showed him dancing on stage with a performer at a music event.

Rapper NLE Choppa similarly shot down rumors that he was gay that started to circulate due to the lyrics of his new single "Slut Me Up 2," despite the video for the song showing him in the company of many women.

Even top NFL prospect Caleb Williams came in for homophobic hate because of the way he honors his mother, a nail technician, by wearing nail polish.

Watch the moment of friendship between Jaden Smith and Justin Bieber below.


by Kilian Melloy , EDGE Staff Reporter

Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.

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