The Truth About Justin Bieber's Troubled Relationship With His Mother

Justin Bieber and his mom, Pattie Mallette, have had their ups and downs ever since the "Baby" singer made his way into the spotlight over a decade ago. The mother-son duo even went from being inseparable to having a "pretty non-existing" relationship at one point, as Bieber revealed to Billboard magazine in 2015. The disconnect was especially heartbreaking considering Mallette was only 18 when she gave birth to Bieber, taking on the bulk of parenting responsibilities following her split from the star's dad, Jeremy Bieber, as Malette described in her 2013 book, Nowhere but Up: The Story of Justin Bieber's Mom. 

Mallette touched on their fluctuating relationship to People in 2013, stating, "When your kids hit a certain age your parenting style changes and it is hard letting go. His life was my life and now I've had to let him go a little bit and let him be independent. It is hard to not be able to control everything that your adult child does."

So are these two still on the outs? Keep scrolling to find out what led to their troubled relationship and how they turned the situation around.

According to Justin Bieber, his problematic and controversial behavior from 2012 to 2014 — which included multiple altercations with paparazzi, a handful of lawsuits, and several incidents involving reckless driving, as Billboard noted — took a toll on his relationship with his mother, Pattie Mallette. It later became clear that the pop star was abusing drugs during this time as a way to "escape" his reality, sharing in his 2020 YouTube docu-series, Seasons, that the pressure led to him trying harder drugs. "There was a time when I was sipping Lean, I was popping pills, I was doing Molly, 'shrooms. Everything," he shared, according to the New York Daily News.

Talking to Billboard in 2015, the pop star admitted that, sadly, his relationship with his estranged mom was "pretty non-existing" during that low point in his life. He explained, "I was distant because I was ashamed. I never wanted my mom to be disappointed in me and I knew she was. 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."

It looks like Bieber did rebuild that trust, as he and Mallette appear back on good terms.

In early 2016, it seemed as though Justin Bieber and Pattie Mallette had spent time working on their relationship when he gave her a sweet shout-out during a Philadelphia concert on Mother's Day. At the time, Bustle reported the singer asked fans to shout "Aloha, Pattie!" for his mom who lived in Hawaii. The proud mother later revealed on Twitter, "Yes @justinbieber was a good boy and called to wish me Happy Mother's Day!"

Two years later, the pair went on a tropical vacation together, and Mallette shared an Instagram post gushing about how proud she was of her son and his incredible transformation. "I'm so proud of the amazing young man you are, and the young man you are becoming. None of us are perfect and never will be," she wrote. "I admire your character and integrity. You are maturing beautifully and wise beyond your years."

Later that year, Bieber once again wished his mom a happy Mother's Day, this time sharing his thoughts in a sweet Instagram post. Mallette responded in the comments section with a heartfelt message, writing, per The Blast, "Please forgive me of all of my shortcomings as I forgive you of yours, past present and future!! Bless you to be all you were created to be. What an honor it's been to know you and watch you grow as your mother. We got this. #LoveWins"

Things between them only got better from there.

Justin Bieber shocked many fans in 2018 when he quietly married Hailey Baldwin at a courthouse in New York City following a long on-again, off-again romance. The two then hosted their first Thanksgiving as a married couple at the pop star's home in Canada, according to E! News.  Attendees included the pop star's mother, Pattie Mallette, who documented the fun-filled night via Instagram. 

It looks like the 44-year-old really approves of his son's wife because from that moment on, Mallette started spending a lot of time with the couple as seen in photos shared on social media, including an Instagram post where she called Baldwin a "gift." She also attended the January 2020 premiere of the singer's YouTube docu-series, Justin Bieber: Seasons, and right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she joined Bieber and Baldwin at a hockey game in Los Angeles.

It's great to see that the mother and son are in a happy place these days.