Justin Bieber Speaks Out Amid Marijuana Controversy: I'm "Trying to Be Better" 
 
 Justin Bieber is taking the high road. 
 
 After TMZ posted pictures of him smoking what appears to be marijuana, the "Beauty and the Beat" singer took to Twitter to address his millions of fans. 
 
 PHOTOS: Celebs with Bieber fever 
 
 "Everyday growing and learning. Trying to be better. U get knocked down, u get up," the 18-year-old pop star wrote on the micro-blogging site Jan. 5. "I see all of u. I hear all of u. I never want to let any of you down. I love u." 
 
 PHOTOS: Inside Justin's workout routine 
 
 Bieber didn't address the pot-smoking pics directly, but he did allude to facing "new challenges" and "new doubters." 
 
 "I'm ready. We are ready. See u all tomorrow and everyday after that," he tweeted. "Back on tour tomorrow. Ready to see u all smile. Time to do what I'm supposed to be doing. Performing." 
 
 PHOTOS: Justin's romance with Selena Gomez 
 
 It's been an interesting week for the teen idol, to say the least. Earlier, a paparazzo was killed while trying to photograph the singer's Ferrari in Los Angeles. Bieber was not in the vehicle at the time but expressed his condolences for the photographer's loved ones in a statement. 
 
 "While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident," he said, "my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim." ||||| Los Angeles (CNN) -- Paparazzi have had nasty run-ins with pop star Justin Bieber, including a high-speed chase in July that prompted a city councilman to predict that such an encounter could end tragically. 
 
 It happened Tuesday. 
 
 A photographer who thought he spied Bieber sitting in his parked white Ferrari was struck and killed by oncoming traffic as he walked across a Los Angeles street to get back to his car after snapping photos. 
 
 An opportune picture of the 18-year-old celebrity can rake in hard currency, but Bieber was not in the car at the time of the New Year's Day incident. 
 
 California Highway Patrol officers had pulled over Bieber's vehicle Tuesday evening near an off-ramp of Interstate 405. 
 
 The photographer, 29, spotted the sports car stopped on Sepulveda Boulevard, parked his own vehicle across the street, crossed to get closer to Bieber's car and took photos of its occupants, Los Angeles police said. 
 
 Officers told the man twice to return to his car, CNN affiliate KTLA reported. 
 
 An SUV struck the paparazzo as he was returning across the street to leave, Stoughton said. 
 
 Authorities have not released his name. Police said in a statement that the driver of the SUV, a 69-year-old woman, stayed at the scene. There was no evidence that the woman was driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, authorities said. 
 
 "While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim," Bieber said in a statement. 
 
 "Hopefully this tragedy will finally inspire meaningful legislation and whatever other necessary steps to protect the lives and safety of celebrities, police officers, innocent public bystanders, and the photographers themselves." 
 
 In July, a group of paparazzi chased Bieber in separate vehicles down a freeway, whizzing past a Los Angeles city councilman, Dennis Zine, a reservist on the LAPD. 
 
 "He was coming up behind me, making abrupt lane changes, not giving signals, cutting off cars," Zine said. The photographers were keeping up with Bieber, thick on his heels. 
 
 Zine said he expected to see a crash and feared someone could die. 
 
 The lawmaker, known for supporting tough measures against obnoxious paparazzi behavior, alerted the highway patrol, who ticketed Bieber for speeding in his Fisker Karma, an expensive plug-in hybrid sports car. 
 
 A photographer was slapped with criminal charges, including reckless driving. 
 
 CNN's Denise Quan contributed to this report ||||| ★ What is Gossip Cop? Find out! 
 
 Justin Bieber Explodes At Paparazzi, Yells “I’ll Beat F*ck Out Of You!” (PICS, VIDEO) 
 
 PHOTOS/VIDEO 
 
 Justin Bieber exploded at a paparazzi photographer in London on Friday, leaping from his SUV and screaming, “I’ll f**king beat the f**k out of you!” as handlers held him back. 
 
 PHOTOS + VIDEO BELOW 
 
 The incident occurred after the singer briefly made physical contact with the paparazzo as he raced from his hotel to the vehicle. 
 
 After the photographer complained that Bieber’s brushback was “assault” and began swearing at him, the pop star jumped back out of his SUV, demanding, “What the f**k did you say?” 
 
 Bieber tried to get at the man, threatening, “I’ll f**king beat the f**k out of you!” until his team corralled him and got him back into the vehicle. 
 
 Bieber, who collapsed on stage on Thursday and had to be hospitalized, took to Twitter after the altercation. 
 
 Ahhhhh! Rough morning. Trying to feel better for this show tonight but let the paps get the best of me… — Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) March 8, 2013 
 
 Sometimes when people r shoving cameras in your face all day and yelling the worst thing possible at u…well I’m human. Rough week — Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) March 8, 2013 
 
 Not gonna let them get the best of me again. Gonna get focused on this show tonight. Adrenaline is high now. Gonna put it on the stage — Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) March 8, 2013 
 
 Only way someone can break u is if u let them. — Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) March 8, 2013 
 
 See PHOTOS of Justin exploding at the paparazzo here! 
 
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– Caught laughing away and getting high on the day after a paparazzo died trying to snap shots of him, Justin Bieber semi-apologized on Twitter: "Everyday growing and learning. Trying to be better. U get knocked down, u get up," he wrote today. "I see all of u. I hear all of u. I never want to let any of you down. I love u." But in all fairness, the pop icon wasn't in his car when the photog got run down in Los Angeles, Us Weekly reports. See the happy-dope pics on TMZ, which notes that a girl ("NOT Selena") crashed with Bieber at a California hotel.