Pop music star Justin Bieber’s comments left in a guestbook following a visit to the Anne Frank House drew mixed reactions.
After a visit of more than an hour, Bieber wrote, according to the Anne Frank House’s Facebook page: “Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber.”
The Facebook post has drawn more than 2,500 comments, with many critical of Bieber’s remarks that imply Anne Frank would have been his fan. One popular comment called Bieber a “little idiot” and said he should show “some respect.”
On Monday, the Anne Frank House posted another comment defending Bieber and praising him for his interest in the story of Anne Frank.
“We think it is very positive that he took the time and effort to visit our museum,” the Anne Frank House posted. “He was very interested in the story of Anne Frank and stayed for over an hour. We hope that his visit will inspire his fans to learn more about her life and hopefully read the diary.”
Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), also defended Bieber’s comment.
“If you read Anne Frank’s diary, she was into celebrities, she was into pop culture,” Foxman said in a statement. “So for [Justin Bieber] to say he would have hoped that she would have been a fan, it’s a nice thing.”
