WATCH: James Franco leads the pack of Justin Bieber imitators

James Franco is being sued by a former professor for 'disparaging and inaccurate public statements' (AP)

It's been a hard few weeks for multi-millionaire teen pop sensation Justin Bieber. First this crazy man with a tattoo of Bieber on his leg was foiled in a kidnap plot, then his Ferrari was involved in a tragic and fatal accident, and last week Bieber was caught smoking a dubious substance and forced to apologise to fans on Twitter - some of whom took their support for him to bizarre extremes.

But in difficult times, Young Biebs can at least take comfort in the knowledge that if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, his flatterers are mostly A-list celebs. James Franco, former Academy Awards host and star of films including 127 Hours, Milk and Pineapple Exress, has posted a video on the internet in which the 34-year-old actor imitates 18-year-old Bieber and mimes along to his hit "Boyfriend".

Other high profile Bieber imitators include comedian Jimmy Fallon and Miley Cyrus. For his own part the Biebs also does a passable, Barack Obama impression.