Justin Bieber’s representatives say “unnecessary stories and inaccurate assumptions” currently circulating about the Canadian pop star are untrue.
On Wednesday, The Hollywood Reporter published an article titled “Justin Bieber’s Crisis of Faith? Why Fans, Insiders Are Concerned,” in which a former team member claimed the 31-year-old singer was left with millions of dollars in debt after cancelling his Justice World Tour in 2022.
In a statement, Bieber’s team called the article “clickbait stupidity based on unnamed — and clearly ill-informed — ‘sources,’ disappointed that they no longer work with Justin.”
“As Justin forges his own way forward, these unnecessary stories and inaccurate assumptions will continue. But they won’t deter him from staying committed to following the right path,” his team added.
The Hollywood Reporter article also included a statement from Bieber’s representatives, denying the claims of massive financial debt.
“Any source that is trying to sell you a story about alleged financial distress … either doesn’t understand the entertainment industry or, more likely, is trying to paint an unflattering portrait of Justin, which bears no resemblance to reality,” his team told the outlet.
The article alleged that Bieber cancelling the remaining dates of his Justice World Tour “triggered a series of financial consequences that are still plaguing the artist today.”
Bieber officially cancelled the tour dates that would have seen the singer perform in the U.S., Europe, Australia and parts of Asia in March 2023. His official tour page said fans would be refunded for their ticket purchases.
The tour had already been postponed several times. In June 2022, Bieber delayed a number of concerts after he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which caused partial facial paralysis.
The Hollywood Reporter article went on to allege that Bieber owned a “large debt” to tour promoter AEG, which insiders claimed was an estimated $20 million. The article also alleged that Bieber was given a $40-million advance for the tour.
“To date, Bieber has only returned a portion of what he borrowed,” the outlet claimed. Aside from money troubles, the article also noted the concern people have had over the star’s mental health.
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“Seeing him disintegrate like this … it’s watching the embodiment of someone not living their purpose,” one of Bieber’s former team members told the outlet.
“He’s lost. There’s no one protecting him because there’s no one there willing to say no to him. You say no, you get blown out,” the former team member added.
Record producer Poo Bear, who co-wrote some of Bieber’s biggest hits, including Despacito and What Do You Mean, was also quoted in the story.
“Whatever he’s going through, I pray for him and hope he’s OK,” Bieber’s former collaborator said.
Another insider claimed that Bieber is just “doing as media-savvy pop stars do.”
“Artists are artists — they don’t look at the world the way you and I do,” the insider said. “He’s healthier than all of us — physically and mentally.”
Concern for Bieber continued to grow after he shared a vulnerable message about his self-worth and imposter syndrome in a statement on social media last month.
Bieber penned the message on his Instagram Stories on March 13 to his 250 million followers, sharing that he has doubted himself.
“People told me my whole life ‘wow Justin u deserve that’ and I personally have always felt unworthy,” he wrote. “Like I was a fraud.
“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.
“I say all this to say. If you feel sneaky welcome to the club. I definitely feel unequipped and unqualified most days.”
Bieber has been very open about his mental health and struggles with depression.
In September 2019, the star shared a lengthy message on Instagram, admitting that he started doing “pretty heavy drugs” at the age of 19 and “abused” his relationships with others.
“I felt like I could never turn it around. It’s taken me years to bounce back from all these terrible decisions, fix broken relationships, and change relationship habits,” the Sorry singer wrote.
He said that growing up as a child star led him to make “every bad decision you could have thought of” by the age of 20.
“I have a lot of money, clothes, cars, accolades, achievements, awards and I was still unfulfilled,” he shared. “Have you noticed the statistics of child stars and the outcome of their life? There is an insane pressure and responsibility put on a child who’s [sic] brain, emotions, frontal lobes (decision making) aren’t developed yet.
“No rationality, defiant, rebellious, things all of us have to go through. But when you add the pressure of stardom it does something to you that is quite unexplainable.”
He said everyone did everything for him during his formative years, adding that he never “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. This is a very scary concept for anyone,” the I Don’t Care singer wrote. “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!”
He went on to describe that “being on stage according to studies is a bigger dopamine rush than almost any other activity.”
“These massive ups and downs on their own are very hard to manage. You notice a lot of touring bands and people end up having a phase of drug abuse, and I believe it’s due to not be able to manage the huge ups and downs that comes with being an entertainer.”
Bieber credited his marriage to Hailey Bieber for helping him establish healthier habits.
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