Justin Bieber flirts with retirement in Christmas Eve tweets

Singer Justin Bieber performs at Staples Center during his Believe Tour in Los Angeles, California June 24, 2013.[Photo/Agencies]

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The tweet to the 19-year-old's nearly 48 million followers - "My beloved beliebers I'm officially retiring" - was quickly followed by another message: "I'm never leaving you, being a belieber is a lifestyle."

And then: "IM HERE FOREVER."

Representatives for Bieber did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

The Canadian singer has been involved in a series of headline-grabbing incidents over the past year.

In March, the singer scuffled with a photographer outside a London hotel during a European tour. Later that month, police were called to his Los Angeles area home after a neighbor claimed he had been threatened and struck by Bieber.

In June, Bieber struck a photographer with his Ferrari sports car while driving away from a comedy club in Los Angeles, though police said the accident was not considered a hit-and-run.