Washington: Singer-songwriter Justin Bieber is opening up like never before! The star reflected upon his early fame and the negative effect it had on his life.
The ‘Sorry’ singer shared a lengthy post on Instagram, where he opened up about how achieving fame at the tender age of 13, growing up in an unstable home, and having “access to whatever I wanted” led him to struggle both physically and mentally later in life.
Justin, who seemed to be at his candid best, revealed that the unmanageable “ups and downs” from being a singer caused him to start relying on “heavy drugs” by the age of 19. The star said he “abused all of his relationships” and was being “disrespectful to women.”
“I became resentful and angry. I became distant to everyone who loved me, and I was hiding behind a shell of a person that I had become. I felt like I could never turn it around,” he wrote.
“You see, I didn’t grow up in a stable home, my parents were 18 [and] separated with no money, still young and rebellious, as well. As my talent progressed and I became ultra-successful, it happened within a strand of two years. My whole world was flipped on its head,” he explained.
The singer, who has been vocal about his mental health struggles, said that how from the time he was a teen, he was constantly reminded of how great he was, something Bieber credited to his downward spiral.
“I went from a 13-year-old boy from a small town to being praised left and right by the world, with millions saying how much they loved me and how great I was. You hear these things enough as a young boy and you actually start believing it,” he shared.
The ‘I Don’t Care’ singer said that the fame was also detrimental to his personal growth, as he never learned the true meaning of responsibility and was never able to develop any skills beyond his music career.
“Everyone did everything for me, so I never even learned the fundamentals of responsibility. By this point, I was 18 with no skills in the real world, with millions of dollars and access to whatever I wanted,” he explained.
“This is a very scary concept for anyone. By 20, I made every bad decision you could have thought of and went from one of the most loved and adored people in the world to the most ridiculed, judged, and hated person in the world,” Bieber continued.
Despite the problems he faced, Bieber said he found comfort and support in a group of friends, including his wife Hailey Baldwin, who “encourage him to keep going.”
“You see, I have a lot of money, clothes, cars, accolades, achievements, awards, and I was still unfulfilled. It’s taken me years to bounce back from all of these terrible decisions, fix broken relationships, and change relationship habits,” he admitted.
“Luckily, God blessed me with extraordinary people who love me for me,” he added, before speaking about how his marriage to Baldwin has helped him move forward.
“Now I am navigating the best season of my life ‘MARRIAGE’ !! Which is an amazing, crazy, new responsibility? You learn patience, trust, commitment, kindness, humility, and all of the things it looks like to be a good man,” he shared.
“All this to say even when the odds are against you, keep fighting. Jesus loves you. Be kind today, be bold today and love people today, not by your standards but by God’s perfect unfailing love,” Bieber concluded.
The singer also recently sought professional treatment, a source told People.
Earlier this year, Bieber revealed that he had been “struggling a lot” in a candid Instagram post.
Since then, Bieber has heavily relied on Baldwin, whom he married in a secret courthouse ceremony in September last year, and the couple even put their wedding plans on hold while they were working through the singer’s struggles.
The couple is currently planning a religious wedding ceremony next month in front of their friends and family.
ANI