Pattie Mellette is a writer and producer for movies and TV – however, today, she’s known mainly as Justin Beiber’s mother.
People aren’t well aware of the experiences and hardships she has faced throughout her life.
Because of his international fame, most people view Justin Bieber as having everything anyone would want.
But while famous people appear to manage a happy and successful life, they also deal with problems and difficult times – many without public notice. Justin Bieber’s connection with Pattie Malette, his mother, is not easy – and with everything she went through in her own life, it’s not surprising.
In 1975, the day before Easter, Pattie Mallette was born in Stratford, Ontario as a French-Canadian. Her early childhood was brought to a stop by the death of someone dear. While Pattie was just 2 years old, Sally, then 5, was hit by a car and passed away. The incident had a lasting effect on Pattie’s family and the beginning of her life.
View this post on Instagram
Pattie was just 17 when she had Justin. She was living alone at the time and knew how to overcome problems. As the Daily Mail reports, Pattie was Justin’s only caretaker in a low-income apartment in Canada. It was Justin’s grandparents who helped raise her, his parents.
For years beginning at the age of 3, Pattie said she suffered from abuse and various forms of violence. She explained:
“One of my offenders is a male babysitter, another is the grandfather of a friend and I hear neighborhood kids act more than their age,” says the woman.
When she was 14, Mandy started using various things. At nearly the same time, she was stealing from stores and sparked a fire in the bathroom at school, resulting in her expulsion. Unfortunately, the book kept recording sexual abuse. Patti Patterson was date raped at the age of 15 according to her book.
The abuse kept happening, so after a while it didn’t feel as shocking to me as it used to. It is strange how it can make someone recognize a danger and still feel it is normal and typical,” she added.
View this post on Instagram
When he was a kid, Mallette began to love acting and singing. By age nine, Li Livan wanted to try out for Romper Room and Big Top Talent shows, both on her local TV station.
When she turned 15, she met and started dating Jeremy Beiber. She was in a relationship with him for four years, but at 16 she left her home without telling anyone. That’s how she supported herself, by pickpocketing and selling drugs.
When she appeared on George Stroumboulopoulos’s program, Mallette said her childhood was “really painful.” I enjoy the arts like Justin does and it’s really brought us together.
View this post on Instagram
Behind her thoughts and actions, her body was giving much more to process.
The teenager, grieving for two years, finally decided she didn’t want to live anymore. She ended up in a mental facility where staff used Christian methods of conversion therapy.
Mallette called up his former friends and co-workers who had chosen not to follow the same new religion she believed in after release from the hospital. At that point, she reconnected with Jeremy Beiber.
View this post on Instagram
It was six months into their dating that Pattie learned she was pregnant. London, Ontario, was the place Justin arrived on March 1, 1994.
Although they kept dating at first after having their son, Pattie and Jeremy later broke up soon after the birth.
She had faced many problems, but Pattie remained directly involved in her kids’ lives. She encouraged Justin to follow his music dreams and eventually helped him sign up for the 2007 Stratford Star talent competition when he was a teenager.
View this post on Instagram
After singing “So Sick” by Ne-Yo, the now-star singer earned a second place and Pattie posted the performance on YouTube. Both the first video and the ones she uploaded after it became very well-liked as time passed.
Revell Christian publishing house published Mallette’s autobiography in September of 2012.
In Nowhere But Up, Pattie explained both her tough childhood and the faith and love that allowed her to show her son how to be happy and strong.
Today, the two have a very different relationship.
View this post on Instagram
“When they reach a certain age, your being a parent changes and it becomes a challenge to let go,” Mallette told People when her son was 19.
I lived both of our lives together, but now I have to let him find his own way. Not being able to supervise everything your adult child does is hard for parents.”
Immediately after his huge success, Justin Bieber was involved in legal issues. Police pulled him over for street racing around 4 a.m. in 2014 and he was subsequently arrested.
That incident caused a rift to develop between the mother and son.
View this post on Instagram
I always wished my mom wouldn’t be disappointed in me and I knew she was. We weren’t able to talk to each other for a while, so building that trust is difficult but we are managing it… I’m very lucky that this amazing woman is my wife and I love her,” Bieber shared with Billboard in 2015, according to Cosmopolitan.
Still, that moment in Justin’s journey doesn’t carry much weight today and Pattie is very proud of him.
I’m very proud of the young man you are and the young man you are turning into. While we are all imperfect, that requires patience and the right attitude and you are clearly growing in your relationship with Christ because of the good choices and results you are producing each day. I respect your good character and integrity. “You are truly becoming wise and you are maturing so beautifully,” she added on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Her experiences in her younger life made their mark on her, but achieving grace later was truly amazing. Post this story to Facebook if you think it matters.