[Image: Instagram]
Justin Bieber has once again set the internet ablaze – this time with a cryptic, gut-punch of a social media post that has fans wringing their hands.
The singer took to Instagram Stories, unloading a raw confession about emotional struggles, comparing his feelings to drowning and feeling unsafe. The whole thing was set against the melancholic backdrop of SZA’s ‘I Hate U’, sending his fans into a tailspin of fresh concern.
“I was always told when I was a kid not to hate,” Justin wrote. “But it made me feel like I wasn’t allowed to have it, and so I didn’t tell anyone I’ve had it. Which made me feel like I was drowning, unsafe to acknowledge it.”
He didn’t stop there. “I think we can only let hate go by first acknowledging it’s there. How couldn’t we feel hate from all of the hurt we’ve experienced?”
This comes just days after he cracked open another layer of vulnerability, admitting to feelings of self-doubt and full-blown imposter syndrome.
“People told me my whole life, ‘Wow, Justin, you deserve that.’ And I personally have always felt unworthy, like I was a fraud,” he confessed. “Like when people told me I deserve something, it made me feel sneaky. Like, damn, if they only knew my thoughts. How judgmental I am, how selfish I really am… they wouldn’t be saying this.”
Deep stuff, but Bieber’s struggle with fame isn’t breaking news. He was just 15 when he went from YouTube prodigy to full-blown pop phenomenon, thanks to Usher’s record label. Then, ‘Baby’ dropped in 2010, and boom – he was one of the best-selling artists of all time, with 150 million records moved worldwide.
Lately, though, the narrative around him has taken a darker turn. Disheveled public appearances, eyebrow-raising social media posts, and photos of him puffing away on what is likely a joint or bong have only fueled speculation about his well-being.
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Despite the noise, Justin and his wife Hailey have been keeping up the appearances of a rock-solid couple. Seven months ago, they welcomed their son, Jack Blues, and they’ve been making regular cameos on each other’s social media, smiling and snuggling like nothing’s amiss.
On March 1, for his birthday, Justin dropped a carousel of Instagram photos featuring sweet family moments with Hailey and baby Jack. Another showed Hailey wrapped around him during a karaoke session, a sweet moment of love:
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But then, because it’s Bieber, another curveball – days later, he posted photos of himself smoking while chilling on an e-bike, all set to Cypress Hill’s Hits From the Bong. His hollow-eyed, oversized, mismatched-clothing aesthetic in recent outings hasn’t exactly eased concerns either.
Last month, his rep attempted damage control, shutting down rumors that Justin was on hard drugs.
“The recurring narrative that Justin is using hard drugs is absolutely not true,” they told TMZ, insisting that he’s actually in “one of the best places in his life.”
Apparently, he’s been on a major personal reboot – ditching old friends and business ties that no longer serve him. As for the ongoing speculation about his health and marriage, the rep called the rumors “exhausting and pitiful” while slamming the media’s addiction to “negative, salacious, harmful narratives.”
So, is Bieber spiraling or thriving? Depends on who you ask. One thing’s for sure: he’s still got people talking.
[Source: Hello!Mag]
