Justin Bieber has opened up about some of the most public, controversial and headline-grabbing moments of his music career in a lengthy Instagram post.
In the years 2013 - 2016, after a string of number one singles, sold out tours and the amassing of a huge fanbase (aka the Beliebers), the YouTube-discovered child prodigy found himself the subject of negative press and a backlash. This followed incidents such as a DUI arrest and infamous grinning mugshot, outbursts captured by the paparazzi, an egg-throwing episode involving a neighbour's property and a confiscated pet monkey.
The 25-year-old has now reflected on this period of his life in a very revealing and frank Instagram post, where he addresses any followers who are struggling with their mental health.
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Saying he too understands and sympathises with anyone who finds it difficult to get out of bed in the morning or experiences a consistent feeling of dread and anxiety, the singer speaks of his 'whole world flipping' after finding fame as a 13-year-old and consequently struggled to cope.
'I was 18 with no skills in the real world, with millions of dollars and access to whatever I wanted,' he wrote. 'This is a very scary concept for anyone.
'By 20, I made every bad decision you could have thought of and went from [being] one of the most loved and adored people in the world to the most ridiculed, judged and hated.'
Bieber then explained he turned to 'pretty heavy drugs' in an attempt to offset how he was feeling and spoke of his regret about 'abusing all of my relationships'.
'I became resentful, disrespectful to women and angry,' he continued. 'I became distant to everyone who loved me and I was hiding behind a shell of a person that I had become.'
Bieber, who was famously in an on-off relationship with another former child star, Selena Gomez, through much of his teenage years, said it has taken him years to 'bounce back from all of these terrible decisions, fix broken relationships and change relationship habits'.
Bieber concluded his statement by indicating that he's now found peace and happiness partially through his marriage to Hailey Baldwin, who he tied the knot with in a New York City courthouse last year.
'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.'
The couple are currently planning a bigger, religious celebratory wedding ceremony with friends and family purported to take place this month in South Carolina.
Olivia Blair is Entertainment Editor (Luxury) at Hearst UK, working across ELLE, Esquire and Harper's Bazaar. Olivia covers all things entertainment and has interviewed the likes of Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Michaela Coel and Ryan Gosling over the years.
