After the release of a second video showing Justin Bieber using racial slurs, the 20 year old singer’s long time mentor has come out in defense of the embattled pop star.

Usher took to Instagram on Saturday, posting a photograph of himself with his arm around Bieber in a shot that appears to have been taken years ago. He accompanied it with a statement of support for Bieber, claiming that the singer is “unequivocally” not a racist and “an example to the millions of kids that follow him to not make the same mistakes”.

The endorsement comes at a time when Bieber has made public apologies for two separate videos showing him using the N-word and joking about wanting to join the Ku Klux Klan.

“At my core, I am a person that supports growth and understands without judgment, that growth often comes as a result of pain and continued effort. As I have watched Justin Bieber navigate difficult waters as a young man, I can tell you that he hasn’t always chosen the path of his greatest potential, but he is unequivocally not a racist”, said Usher.

This isn’t the first time Usher expressed support for his protege, who has been no stranger to controversy. Bieber is currently under investigation by the LAPD for allegedly throwing eggs at a neighbor’s house and, more recently, for allegedly trying to steal the cell phone of a woman who had been taking photographs of him. In January, he was arrested and charged with DUI, resisting arrest, and operating a motor vehicle without a license in Miami, Florida.

In an earlier interview with Nylon Guys magazine, the 35 year old R&B superstar defended Bieber when asked about the singer’s misjudgments. “Success comes with a price. Every person that has grown up, grows up with something. It ain’t just perfect from the beginning.”