Justin Bieber. Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Justin Bieber has faced his fair share of hardships since skyrocketing to fame after being discovered by Scooter Braun in 2007.
Upon breaking onto the scene with his debut album, My World 2.0, the two-time Grammy winner was beloved by the world over for his boyish charm, famous hair “swoop” and age-appropriate love songs.
However, in the years that followed, Bieber’s partying ways became the subject of much scrutiny and worry — from his fans, parents and Braun himself.
“I was worried every night that I was going to lose him. I thought he was going to die,” Braun shared on “The Red Pill” podcast in 2018. “I thought he was going to sleep one night and that he would have so much crap in his system that he would not wake up the next morning.”
Bieber’s romantic life also made frequent headlines — namely, his high-profile romances with Selena Gomez and future wife Hailey Bieber.
Keep scrolling for Justin’s highs and lows throughout the years:
Shooting to Fame
Braun discovered Justin on YouTube when the singer was just a young teen in the early 2000s. The “Baby” singer released his debut album, My World 2.0, in 2010 following his My World EP. The record ultimately went 4x platinum.
N-Word Scandal
In 2014, Justin dealt with two racism scandals in one week. In the videos shared online, one clip showed the singer telling a racist joke five years prior, while the other piece of footage featured a young Justin singing a racist parody of his song “One Less Lonely Girl.” The parody replaced “girl” with the N-word and made references to the KKK.
“I’m very sorry,” Justin said in a statement to the Associated Press at the time. “I take all my friendships with people of all cultures very seriously and I apologize for offending or hurting anyone with my childish and inexcusable behavior.”
He added: “I thought it was ok to repeat hurtful words and jokes, but I didn’t realize at the time that it wasn’t funny and that in fact my actions were continuing the ignorance. Thanks to friends and family I learned from my mistakes and grew up and apologized for those wrongs. Now that these mistakes from the past have become public I need to apologize again to all of those who I have offended.”
Substance Abuse Issues
In his 2020 documentary, Justin Bieber: Seasons, the Canada native got real about his struggles with substance abuse.
“My security and stuff would come into my room at night to check my pulse. People don’t know how serious it got. It was legit crazy scary,” he recalled. “I was waking up in the morning and the first thing I was doing was popping pills and smoking a blunt and starting my day. It just got scary. I basically said to myself, I’m like, ‘God, if you’re real, you get me through this season of stopping these pills and stuff, and if you do, I’ll do the rest of the work.’”
Mama Drama
Justin and his mom, Pattie Mallette — who was just a teen when she gave birth to her only son in March 1994 — were always extremely close. However, their relationship soured as Justin struggled with drugs.
“I was distant because I was ashamed,” he later reflected to Billboard in 2015 about his relationship with his mom. “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.”
Selena Gomez Relationship
Justin and Gomez went public with their romance at the 2011 Vanity Fair Oscars party, breaking up for the first time one year later. As the duo continued to be on and off over the next several years — with both stars dating other A-listers in their “off” periods — they ultimately called it quits for good in 2018, several months before Justin proposed to Hailey.
Hailey Bieber Marriage
The future couple initially met in 2008 after being introduced by Hailey’s dad, actor Stephen Baldwin. While Justin and Hailey became friends — and on and off romantic partners — in the years following, the “What Do You Mean?” artist got real about not wanting to hurt the model while he focused on himself.
“What if Hailey ends up being the girl I’m gonna marry, right? If I rush into anything, if I damage her, then it’s always gonna be damaged,” Justin told GQ in 2016. “It’s really hard to fix wounds like that. It’s so hard. … I just don’t want to hurt her.”
Two years later — after his final split from Gomez — Justin and Hailey tied the knot in a courthouse ceremony in New York City. In 2019, they threw a larger ceremony attended by their families and friends.
Health Problems
Justin got real about his battle with Lyme disease in 2020.
“While a lot of people kept saying Justin Bieber looks like s—t, on meth etc. they failed to realize I’ve been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my, skin, brain function, energy, and overall health,” he wrote via Instagram at the time.
Two years later, Justin canceled his tour dates amid another health scare — this time: Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.
“It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,” Justin said in an Instagram video at the time, showing his followers that he couldn’t move half of his face. “As you can see this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move.”
As for his canceled concert dates, “I’m just physically not capable of doing them,” Justin noted. “This is pretty serious as you can see. I wish this wasn’t the case. But obviously, my body is telling me I need to slow down.”
Together through it all. Justin Bieber and his wife, Hailey Bieber, have both experienced their fair share of health battles through the years. “Wanted to share a little bit of how I’ve been feeling. Each day has gotten better and through all of the discomfort, I have found comfort in the one who designed me […]
Dropping Scooter as His Manager
In August 2023, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that Justin “officially let Scooter go as his manager” amid reports that Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande also parted ways with the music executive.
The insider added that it was Hailey who “led the charge that led Justin to leave him for another manager.”
A separate insider, however, told Us one day prior that “all of Scooter Braun’s clients are under contract and negotiations have been going on for several months as Scooter steps into his larger role as Hybe America CEO.” The source elaborated: “People are spreading rumors based on what they know, but they are off. Scooter’s team at SB Projects are still handling both Justin and Ariana as they work through what this new structure looks like.”
A New Chapter
Justin kicked off his fatherhood era with wife Hailey in August 2024, welcoming son Jack Blues.
The Ongoing Speculation
Rumors started swirling in January 2025 that Justin had unfollowed Hailey on Instagram, sparking speculation about the status of their marriage. Justin was quick to set the record straight, claiming “someone went on my account and unfollowed my wife.”
Fans continued to express concern for the singer, and his reps spoke out claiming that any rumors about Justin using drugs were “absolutely not true.” They slammed “exhausting and pitiful” speculation noting that “despite the obvious truth, people are committed to keeping negative, salacious, harmful narratives alive.”
Debunking Debt Rumors
The Hollywood Reporter posted an article in April 2025 resurfacing the concerns about his mental health and claiming that Justin was millions of dollars in debt after the cancellation of his 2023 Justice World Tour.
“This is just clickbait stupidity based on unnamed — and clearly ill-informed — ‘sources,’ disappointed that they no longer work with Justin,” his team shared in a statement to Us. “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.”
Return to Music
Justin, to the delight of fans, released his first album since Justice in July 2025. The record, titled Swag, featured 20 songs about relationship woes and more.
“Baby, I ain’t walking away / You were my diamond / Gave you a ring / I made you a promise,” he sings in “Walking Away,” presumably referring to Hailey. “I told you I’d change / It’s just human nature / These growing pains / And baby, I ain’t walking away.”
A music insider told Us that the LP was a “personal project.”
“This is more of a personal project that Justin has been wanting to put out, almost like a mixtape,” the source said. “His label is planning a more traditional pop album for early next year.”
