Unexpected turn of events, pop star Justin Bieber drew attention to a Savannah, Georgia gym back in 2017 when he messaged their social media account asking about a particular girl he saw in an Instagram video. The story, which has recently resurfaced, centers around Jessica Gober, a 22-year-old who worked at the gym, Fitness on Broughton.
Gober had caught Bieber’s eye in a Boomerang video posted by the gym, which featured her endorsing an energy drink. The singer’s curiosity led him to directly message the gym’s account with the question, “Who is that girl?” accompanied by heart emojis. Gober shared a screenshot of Bieber’s message on Twitter, expressing her shock and amusement. The tweet quickly went viral, sparking a flurry of reactions from fans and internet users alike.
Many responses to Gober’s post ranged from humorous to envious. One user lamented, “I DM him every day, every hour and he doesn’t even see it lol,” while another joked, “Can JB ask who I am so I become famous? He can call me ugly for all I care. I just need the mention.”
Despite the excitement online, Gober and her family were taken aback by the incident. In an interview with Buzzfeed, she revealed her disbelief at the message coming from Bieber’s verified account, noting how the gym had only a modest following at the time. Gober’s family and boyfriend were equally surprised by the unexpected celebrity interaction.
Gober clarified that she wasn’t interested in pursuing anything with Bieber and shared photos of herself with her boyfriend to dispel any misconceptions. She stated, “I didn’t post the pictures of my boyfriend because I thought that Justin Bieber wanted to ‘get with me.’ I posted them in response to everyone commenting that I ‘ruined my chances with Justin by tweeting the screenshots’. Either way, I didn’t want a ‘chance’ because I am perfectly happy with my boyfriend.”
The incident garnered significant media coverage, much of which Gober found surprising. She clarified that the gym’s response to Bieber was appropriate and expressed her belief that the pop star had no inappropriate intentions. The attention surrounding the story was more a result of the viral nature of the message than any nefarious actions on Bieber’s part.
In the end, what started as a simple inquiry from a celebrity turned into a viral moment that highlighted the unpredictable ways in which social media can bring even the most routine interactions into the limelight.
