Xenia Deli Makes Bieber Sound Awesome

By now, you've probably seen Justin Bieber's music video for "What Do You Mean." And you've probably made the call on whether he's done enough for his comeback to make you like him again. Well, if there is anyone who can vouch for him, it's Bieber's music video costar, Xenia Deli. During a phone interview, Deli says of working with the 21-year-old pop star,

He’s totally different as we see in the newspapers or in the videos [sic]. He’s a totally different person. He's such a sweet person. I think he’s a gentleman. And this is what I really appreciate: He respects women. He respects the people who he’s working with and he made our job so easy.

Deli, a Moldova-born fashion model, explains that there were about 10 other women trying out at the casting with her, which only took place a few weeks before the video premiered. Surrounded by the music video producer, casting director, and others, she showed off her acting chops and range of emotions. The 25-year-old found out that same day that she got the part and was ecstatic. Two days later, she met Bieber for the first time, and as she got the chance to know him a little bit on set, the work — and fun — began.

"What Do You Mean" was not Deli's first time acting in a music video. She has shot with American and Russian artists in the past, but says that the Bieber shoot was the hardest. It involved working long hours, and she had to do stunts like jumping off of a building.

Clearly, Deli had her work cut out for her. But something else that was challenging for her in the process was dealing with the response from Bieber's fans to her presence in the video — especially since there were rumors flying around that she and Bieber were dating. But when asked if they're just friends, Deli says,

We are. With Justin, just friends, nothing in between us. And I got so much hate from his fans. But I want to talk [sic] to everyone that nothing is between us. You don’t have to hate me, guys. I was just doing my job.

Some Beliebers sent her mean comments, particularly on Instagram. When she started receiving the messages, she was worried, but after a while, she stopped reading them because she didn't see a point in getting upset. "When you shoot with Justin, you have to be prepared for it," she says with a laugh.

Even though there were challenges, Deli says starring in the video was so much fun. It was her first time doing a shoot with so much action, and it was also exciting for her to play the main role, because in past videos, she appeared alongside a lot of other women. And it didn't hurt that Bieber kept everyone laughing the whole time, telling funny stories.

Deli was pleased with the final product, which she thinks is amazing. "I started crying when I saw the music video because I know how hard we were working and now we have the great results," she says.

Check out Deli's acting in the final video below, and see what you think!

Image: Xenia Deli/Instagram