Justin Bieber files to dismiss defamation lawsuit over assault claims

Justin Bieber is dropping a $20 million (£16.2m) defamation lawsuit against two women who accused him of sexual assault.

The popstar, 28, was accused by two social media users in 2014 and 2015.

He strongly denied the claims and at the time called them "outrageous lies" that were "provably fabricated".

Last week, his lawyers requested for the case to be dismissed, according to documents obtained by the PA news agency.

It's not clear whether a settlement between Bieber and the women has been agreed.

The first allegation came from a woman who claimed she was assaulted by Bieber at a hotel in Austin, Texas on 9 March 2014.

In response, Bieber shared screenshots from news articles from the day the alleged assault took place, which show him with his then-girlfriend Selena Gomez.

The second allegation was tweeted by a woman who claimed Bieber sexually assaulted her in a New York hotel in May 2015.

Bieber later filed the $20 million lawsuit which said her accusations were false and made "out of her desire for fame and attention".

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.