TORONTO (AP) — Toronto’s favorite black sheep, Mayor Rob Ford, is rising to the defense of fellow Canadian Justin Bieber, who has recently been in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Bieber was charged with assault Wednesday for allegedly hitting a Toronto limousine driver several times in the back of the head in an incident last month. The news broke a mere few hours after the teenage pop star’s attorney entered a separate not guilty plea in Florida to drunken-driving and other charges.