Tragic Details About Justin Bieber

The following article includes mentions of addiction, abusive relationships, mental health struggles, and suicidal ideation.

Imagine being a normal thirteen-year-old boy one day, and an international heartthrob the next. It's a sensation only few can understand, but one that pop star Justin Bieber knows all too well. The singer was once busking on the streets of Ontario for an extra dime, a seemingly unfathomable reality compared to his mega-stardom today. "I came from a small town in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. I didn't have material things and was never motivated by money or fame. I just loved music," Bieber admitted. 

His passion for music came in the form of music covers posted to his YouTube channel, which ultimately led to talent manager Scooter Braun discovering the star. Not long after, Bieber became a worldwide sensation with the help and mentoring of Usher. At an age when most teenage boys were having their first girlfriends, Bieber already had millions of girl fans confessing their love for him. While his fame shot to the sky, so did his ego. 

There's no question that Bieber becoming one of the music industry's biggest stars at such a young age came at a price. The singer grew up with the eyes of the world on him, facing intense criticism and backlash from fans who judged his each and every move. His childhood and adolescent years were overshadowed by his celebrity status, and, at times, Bieber crumbled under the pressure. The Grammy award-winning artist has had his fair share of highs and lows, and we're breaking down all the tragic details of Justin Bieber.

Justin Bieber may be a mega-millionaire today, but growing up the singer didn't have a dollar to his name. Bieber was born in Ontario and raised by a single mother who did her best to make ends meet. The "Baby" singer's father, Jeremy Bieber, left at an early age, and his mother Pattie Mallette was left to pick up the pieces. "As a single mother [I sometimes said], 'I have no idea how I'm going to feed Justin'," Mallette told the talk show "100 Huntley Street" (per Us Weekly). The luxurious life he lives today is a stark contrast to his childhood, as he told The Sun (per CTV News) that he grew up extremely poor. "...We had mousetraps everywhere because there were mouses – uh, mice – in the house. I didn't have a real bed. I slept on a blue pull-out couch in my room," he revealed. 

Bieber's public media controversies led to a strained relationship with his mother, but he admitted he still thinks the world of her. "We spent some time not talking, so it takes time to rebuild that trust. She's living in Hawaii now, so it's hard, but getting better. She's an amazing woman and I love her," he told Billboard in 2015. The singer also rekindled his relationship with his father, even telling GQ in 2017, "I'm a lot closer to my dad than I am to my mum."

Justin Bieber may have the world at his feet, but it doesn't always feel that way for the pop star. The "Beauty and a Beat" singer opened up about the toll that fame took on his mental health in the 2020 documentary "Justin Bieber: Next Chapter" (per Today). "I think that there was times where I was really, really suicidal, like really like 'Man, is this pain ever gonna go away?' It was so consistent, the pain was so consistent. I was just suffering, so I (was) just like, 'Man, I would rather not feel this than feel this,'" he admitted. 

Bieber released the track "Lonely" with Benny Blanco giving viewers insight into his struggles with the lyrics: "What if you had it all / But nobody to call? / Maybe then, you'd know me." The pop star admitted in the documentary that he wasn't prepared for fame changing his life so drastically. His former manager Scooter Braun admitted in the documentary that he has some regrets as well, revealing that he wished he had provided Bieber with a therapist at the start. "There's a moment of sadness for how quickly it all happened," Braun said (per USA Today), adding, "There are so many tragedies that could have been avoided."

Despite the ups and downs, Bieber has taken control of his mental health following his marriage to Hailey Bieber. He took to Instagram to share a post of him and his wife with the caption: "The last 8 months have been a time for growth. Happy and healthy. #JBNextChapter out now on @youtube."

Justin Bieber didn't exactly have a squeaky-clean reputation before he got hitched to his wife Hailey Bieber, especially when it came to the dating department. While he dated Selena Gomez on and off for seven years, Bieber was known to date around during their splits. The singer has had a reputation for being a bad boy, landing himself in the tabloids for allegedly sneaking out of a brothel in Brazil and allegedly paying a sex worker for sex in Panama. He certainly enjoyed his single life while being an eligible bachelor, albeit a little too much.

In 2019, the singer shared a lengthy Instagram essay on his page reflecting on some of his past mistakes. "I started doing pretty heavy drugs when I was 19 and abused all of my relationships," Bieber wrote. "I became resentful, disrespectful to women, and angry. I became distant to everyone who loved me, and I was hiding behind, a shell of a person that I had become."

Bieber found his way out of that dark period of his life by leaning on his circle of friends as well as his faith. The "Sorry" singer admitted that marrying Hailey also helped him become a better person, calling their marriage the "best season of his life." The artist went on to write, "You learn patience, trust, commitment, kindness, humility and all of the things it looks like to be a good man."

Justin and Hailey Bieber's dating timeline is a rollercoaster. The two met when they were just teenagers on the set of the "Today" show in 2009, and went on to be close friends for years. The two went to church together, rang in New Year's together, and even vacationed together, but continued to deny there was any romance involved for years. In 2015, the two were spotted kissing and went on to talk about their relationship more publicly in the press. Though they both admitted they had love for each other, Hailey told E! News at the time that they weren't an exclusive couple.

The couple split up in 2016, and the model admitted that there was a period when they were not on speaking terms. "'Fizzled' would not be the right word — it was more like a very dramatic excommunication," Hailey told Vogue. "There was a period where if I walked into a room, he would walk out." The model elaborated further on an episode of "In Good Faith with Chelsea and Judah Smith," saying: "It was actually very sad when we didn't speak," she said. "I did something that really hurt him, and I think that kind of maybe took that idea [of marrying me] out of his mind at that point."

Bieber went on to date long-time on-and-off girlfriend Selena Gomez for a few months following their split, but he and Hailey rekindled their romance in 2018. The couple tied the knot in a New York City courthouse in the fall of that year. 

Hailey Bieber may seem like she has it all. With her bombshell beauty, booming beauty business, and supportive relationship with her husband Justin Bieber, the model lives a life many of us could only dream of. But Hailey is the first to admit that all that glitters isn't actually gold, and she took to her Instagram in 2023 to open up about some of her own struggles with mental health.

"I like to make jokes about how I feel because sometimes it's easier than admitting I'm having a hard time," the Rhode founder wrote on her Instagram Story (per Us Weekly). "But truthfully since 2023 started I have had some of the saddest, hardest moments I've ever had in my adult life and my mind and emotions have been fragile, to say the least. And I know so many other people feel the same way I feel, so just know you're not alone."

Her post came after fans interpreted Hailey's TikTok videos as jabs at Selena Gomez, which she denied. The controversy took a toll on Justin as well, according to a source close to the star. "It breaks Justin's heart to have seen Hailey struggling emotionally the way she has been these past few months," the insider told Us Weekly, adding, "He loves his wife more than anything and knows she has a heart of gold."

From teenage heartthrob to troubled pop star, Justin Bieber has worn a lot of hats. We're pretty sure the latter wasn't exactly his favorite, however. Bieber made headlines in 2014 after he was arrested in Miami for suspicion of drunk driving, driving without a license, and resisting arrest. Toxicology reports revealed the singer had Xanax and marijuana in his system, but his alcohol levels were within the legal limits. 

In an effort to show off his sobriety, a video showed the singer doing multiple push-ups at the police station following his arrest. The pop star later pled guilty to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and resisting arrest. Instead of a time behind bars, the "Rollercoaster" singer was ordered to complete an anger management course, and a DUI course, as well as make a $50,000 donation. In other words, he was given a slap on the wrist. 

Bieber posted an Instagram photo on the seven-year anniversary of his arrest reflecting on the incident. "7 years ago today I got was arrested, not my finest hour," he wrote. "Not proud of where I was at in my life. I was hurting, unhappy, confused, angry, [misled], misunderstood, and angry at God... I also wore too much leather for someone in Miami. All this to say God has brought me a long way. From then til now I do realize something.. God was as close to me then as he is right now."

Following Justin Bieber's Miami arrest, the Internet was ablaze with all things Bieber. While intense backlash for his questionable behavior is expected, a call for his deportation seems a bit dramatic. Nearly 300,000 people disagreed, however, as a White House petition was started amidst the controversy calling for his return back to Canada. "We the people of the United States feel that we are being wrongly represented in the world of pop culture," listed the petition's description. "We would like to see the dangerous, reckless, destructive, and drug-abusing Justin Bieber deported and his green card revoked."

However, according to immigration attorney Ira Kurzban, the singer is "not subject to deportation because of a DUI offense, nor is driving with an expired license a deportable offense." The White House is required to respond to petitions that garner over 100,000 signatures, and the call for Bieber's deportation went well past that mark achieving over 275,000 signatures. Nonetheless, the White House wasn't amused. "Thanks for your petition and your participation in We the People," their statement read. "Sorry to disappoint, but we won't be commenting on this one." 

The White House did, however, poke fun at the request, ending their statement by writing: "So we'll leave it to others to comment on Mr. Bieber's case, but we're glad you care about immigration issues."

Unfortunately, Justin Bieber's DUI debacle wasn't his only run-in with the law. The "Ghost" singer surrendered to Toronto police in 2014 after he was charged with assaulting his limo driver. According to the police report, Bieber was one of six passengers in a vehicle on its way to a hotel when an altercation ensued. The pop star allegedly struck the driver several times in the back of the head and left before police arrived at the scene. 

Bieber's attorney claimed his client was innocent of the charges — and the case was later dismissed. The singer's lawyer revealed in a statement to ABC News that there "was no reasonable prospect of conviction." He went on to write: "We have always maintained Mr. Bieber's innocence. The withdrawal of the charge is the product of a thorough and thoughtful review of the evidence by responsible prosecutors."

Justin Bieber isn't messing around when it comes to his wife Hailey Bieber. The "Purpose" singer was involved in an Instagram spat with an angry fan in 2020, and he made sure he got the last word. The controversy began when Bieber posted a video supporting his wife's beauty campaign to his Instagram Story. In the video, a fan wrote (per Billboard): "Hailey Baldwin is going to do a Live, right?" She went on to add, "...This is the time where they will not be turning off comments, so we need to f***ing bombard that s*** with Jelena and how Selena is better. Go after, please, let's all go after her."

Justin took to his Instagram Stories to address the cyberbullying, writing, "This sad excuse of a human just encouraged people on video to literally go after my wife telling people to say that my previous relationship was better so on and so fourth [sic]. I just wanted to share this so people get an idea of what we face on a day to day." Hailey reposted the Story to her own Instagram with her own views, writing, "It has truly gotten to a level of anger and hate that is shockingly unhealthy and sad." She continued, "I would never in a million years wish for someone to be treated this way and I will never condone this kind of hateful behavior."

Though fans have constantly pinned Hailey and Selena Gomez against each other, the two admitted there's no bad blood or beef between them. 

Justin Bieber had to put a pause on his Justice World Tour in 2022 due to health issues. The singer took to Instagram to post a video of himself revealing that he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome. The rare disorder occurs when a virus affects the nerves in one's face, leading to facial paralysis. "It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis," Bieber wrote on Instagram at the time. "As you can see this eye is not blinking. I can't smile on this side of my face; this nostril will not move. So there's full paralysis on this side of my face."

The singer originally postponed several tour stops in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Thailand. He returned to perform six live shows in Europe a few months after his diagnosis but took a break from touring shortly after. "...I performed six live shows, but it took a real toll on me. This past weekend, I performed at Rock in Rio and I gave everything I had to ... the people in Brazil. After getting off stage, the exhaustion overtook me and I realized that I need to make my health the priority right now," the singer wrote on X.

The rest of Bieber's remaining tour dates were later canceled in 2023. The singer did, however, make a full recovery. He posted an Instagram Story (per CNN) showing himself being able to fully smile again.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, is dealing with domestic abuse, needs help with mental health, or is in crisis, contact the relevant resources below:

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

• The Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

• Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.