The fans of Justin Bieber have been warning of his health status, theorizing on his state of mind and emotional well-being for a number of months now. These conversations heightened as the singer had absent from social media for most of the time and would only pop up once and a while looking either tense or withdrawn. Now, Bieber has pierced that silence, giving us a once-in-a-lifetime look into what has been going on for him and what he’s been going through in his personal world.
The 31-year-old pop star who is famous all over the world for hits such as “Baby” and “What Do you mean”, posted his series of vulnerable thoughts on Instagram, where he has approximately 300 million followers. In these posts, Bieber was not afraid to announce himself as “an ordinary flawed dude”, struggling with insecurities, guilt, and fear of misinterpretations and rejection.
He said, “I’ve done some things that have hurt others”. “However, I have woken up this morning with another chance to mature and not be selfish today”. His language was blunt, unvarnished, and lacking in many celebrity messaging filters. Rather than paying attention to image, Bieber lowered his guard.
This openness is at a time when his name has been heard in association with rumours and speculations especially after his former mentor Sean “Diddy” Combs got embroiled in legal issues. While Bieber never mentioned Diddy, the fans did not take long before they put two and two together and noticed the contemplative tone of his messages following the latest developments that involved people familiar to him.
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In one of the more spiritual messages he sent out, Bieber wrote: “LOVE DRAWS US IN. LOVE DOESN’T CONDEMN. LOVE BELIEVES THE BEST. LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS. AND ENDURES ALL THINGS. IT DOES NOT HAVE RECORD OF WRONG”. The statement appeared as a personal fight and an optimistic call for compassion (by others, and for himself).
Bieber also dwelled on the internal struggle that he is facing when it comes to his own honesty, and wrote: Sometimes I feel I’m going to be exposed if I explain the level of selfishness I’m at. Then, as if I confessed that, perhaps people would not like me or believe in me. He stayed on the theme of the pressure of appearances, something he has struggled with since the early days of fame. He admitted that for a long time, he believed that being vulnerable would make him pay back with connection or inclusion, “I thought if I was honest about the selfish things I was feeling that I was gonna be disqualified from the dreams I had of being included”.
Whilst addressing his messages, he was aware of the inconsistency of his emotions. “Some days I’m optimistic. Sometimes I wake up pessimistic”, he wrote. This way, “I can’t control how I’m gonna feel”. Sometimes he confessed that he blames God for such negative feelings, but now he starts to learn that he should turn to prayer and ask for a change of perspective. He said, “I’ve been really asking God to help me see the best in people even after being used in the way I have.”
In the most expressionistic moment of self-reflection, Bieber said: Only God has power to take the greed and selfishness out of our hearts. Trying harder won’t work. Cuz I tried lol.”
These recent confessions reflect some of battles Bieber has spoken of in the past, his battles with addiction, anxiety, and demands of fame. His marriage to Hailey Bieber, too, has come under the scanner, especially when she gave a solo appearance at the Met Gala, and fans started wondering about their relationship. However, only months before that, in August 2024, the couple has had their first son, a development which indicates stability and commitment even though public speculation is rife.
Using it all, Bieber’s most recent posts indicate a time of lucidity and revelation. Instead of a polished PR statement, the character of his words is more that of someone working out pain, faith, fear, and forgiveness. Instead of attempting to reassure the fans by telling them that everything is alright while having a perfect image, he is giving something more valuable: honesty, even when it’s messy. And in so doing, he might not just be healing himself – but creating connection for others – so they do not feel so alone when feeling their own demons.