Issue 10: Justin Bieber Isn’t Ready for His Comeback

After a public spiral and numerous controversies, Justin Bieber was ready for his comeback at the ripe age of 21...

Welcome to the latest issue of the Gossip Reading Club. This week, let’s look into someone who is sure to inspire strong feelings, and how his second act came up against a savvy journalist.

GQ. "Justin Bieber Would Like to Reintroduce Himself." February 11, 2016. Caity Weaver.

Whenever I think of Justin Bieber, I am embarrassed to admit that the first phrase that comes to my mind is, “What a brat.” I can’t claim to be a fan or even casual listener of his music, but I do know a lot about him because he’s been largely unavoidable for most of his life. When you’ve been wildly famous from a very young age and seen little drop in that kind of worldwide visibility, it’s no wonder that you elicit intense feelings from total strangers. And as someone who covers celebrities for a living, I must confess that I hate when my instincts give into the most negative reading of someone. I’m hardly the first person to think Bieber’s been a brat or a disaster kid, but it’s admittedly rather sad that a guy who didn’t seem to have a chance has been defined so thoroughly in this way.

By 2016, Bieber had successfully mounted his first comeback. At the tender age of 21, he had dealt with several arrests, largely related to vandalism, driving under the influence, and resisting arrest. His mugshots had gone viral. A White House petition to have him deported back to Canada earned more than 270,000 signatures. He embarrassed himself at the Anne Frank Museum and been caught smoking pot and abusing Xanax. It was 100% societally acceptable, even encouraged, to hate Justin Bieber. 2015 saw the release of Purpose, his first "adult" album and one that was heavily marketed as his glorious return to the mainstream after an apology tour and some much-needed growing up. In terms of pure sales, it worked a charm, as the album was one of the biggest sellers of 2015 and 2016. It also earned an Album of the Year nomination at the Grammys. What followed was his first major stadium-based world tour, which grossed well over $257 million. Sure, it was popular to hate Bieber, but he was so beloved too. Money talks louder than the DUIs and bad tweets. It talks louder than Justin Bieber himself, which may have been a blessing for those so reliant on him.

Caity Weaver, one of the best celebrity profilers in the game, has a canny ability to bring empathy to a subject while retaining the air of the ridiculous that would be so easy to erase (and possibly desired by harried publicists.) She opens her piece by noting the platter of chicken fingers ordered by Bieber, a non-menu item that is so large that it looks "like something out of a children’s book—an illustration from a story about a boy who becomes king." That’s the prevailing image throughout the piece – the kid who became king and has the Sword of Damocles forever hanging over his head.

Frankly, through Weaver’s eyes, being Justin Bieber seems like it sucks. She details his apology tour, which included a Comedy Central roast that often felt like "a witch were being burned at the stake. (Hannibal Buress: “I don’t like you at all, man. I’m just here ’cause this is a real good opportunity for me.”)" It was Bieber’s job to look sad, regretful, but also eager to let everyone else take a kick while he was down. Everything was seen as an act of confession, including the hit song “Sorry”, which is not about an apology to the Anne Frank Museum or American justice system or that monkey he adopted then abandoned (remember that?! It will come up again later.) When asked about it by Weaver, Bieber says it’s just a song about a girl, and really, isn't he kinda done with apologizing? He says, "Everyone, when they start growing up, realizes, ‘Man, I did some dumb shit when I was younger.’ It’s not just me.… If I could go back, I wouldn’t really change much. I think it’s all my journey. That stuff made me who I am."

There's definitely a petulance to Bieber here, not especially surprising when you remember he's still only 21. What's less expected is how Weaver just straight-up says "that Justin Bieber is not easy to talk to." He mumbles a lot, largely gives monosyllabic answers to her questions, and doesn't seem especially engaged. He’s quiet, clearly anxious, maybe not ready for this but doing it anyway because it’s his job. Weaver puts this down to intense media training, admitting that "it's unsettling to share a personal story, or ask a long-winded question, and be met with Justin Bieber’s silent, cool-eyed stare the entire time you’re talking. Justin Bieber makes eye contact like a person who has been told that eye contact is very, very important."

But he is excited to talk about certain things, like his ardent fans and his relationship with God. While it's not mentioned in the piece, around this time, Bieber was becoming heavily associated with Carl Lentz, the pastor of the infamous megachurch Hillsong. The brand -- and it very much was one -- was of the cool kids' place for worship, the blending of wealth and serenity that fell heavily in line with the 2010s wellness fad. Lentz loved this atmosphere, which led to the likes of Bieber, a few Jenners, and Selena Gomez entering his inner circle. He was eventually sacked from Hillsong in 2020 after it emerged that he'd had an affair with another pastor's wife (she, Leona Kimes, later accused him of "manipulation, control, bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse" toward her.)

Knowing this context makes Bieber’s true joy in faith feel a little sadder. As Weaver says, "Unlike employees, friends, and family members, God never disappoints—and is never disappointed in—Justin Bieber." And Bieber sounds so earnest here, far more invested than with any other question he's asked. He says, "I feel like that’s why I have a relationship with Him, because I need it. I suck by myself. Like, when I’m by myself and I feel like I have nothing to lean on? Terrible. Terrible person." It’s not uncommon for child stars to latch onto faith or something more cult-based as they age and seek a safe port in the storm. I’m sure Lentz saw Bieber as his golden goose. Scooter Braun with a crucifix, if you will.

His relationship with his parents isn't any easier. Raised by a single mother who went from drug dealer to born-again Christian whose entire career seems to be "Justin Bieber's mother", Justin admits that he fell out with her but they tentatively reconciled. “I’m a lot closer to my dad than I am to my mom,” he adds, which just makes you sad when you remember how his dad basically leapt back into his life when the money started rolling in. In another moment of wisdom that is both childish and not wrong, Bieber says that one’s relationship with their parents changes as they become adults and "one day you’re just gone, and you’re doing your own thing, and you don’t need them, and you don’t value their opinion the same, either." It’s moments like this that make the dumb bits shine less as rich boy bullsh*t and more the stuff of a man in arrested development.

Perhaps it’s the intrinsic nature of young fame – so terrifying and absurd at the same time – that sees Weaver veer from having Bieber discuss his faith to asking him about the money. For those who missed this moment in history, a quick summary: In March 2013, Bieber's capuchin monkey, OG Mally, was seized by customs officials when he landed in Munich as part of his world tour. Officials gave Bieber until May 7 to reclaim him, with proper paperwork. The paperwork was never filed, and soon, German officials were demanding nearly $8,000 in fees related to the monkey’s relocation to a nearby zoo.

Amid the mania of Bieber’s flame-out, this was seen as yet another sign of his selfishness and idiocy, as well as his eagerness to copy Michael Jackson, who had his own monkey troubles. Bieber insists he had the right papers but things got messy because the monkey was considered an engendered species in Germany, and that he truly loved Mally. When Bieber says, with genuine gravity in his eyes, "Everyone told me not to bring the monkey", Weaver laughs. Wouldn't you? I will admit that I laughed when Bieber said "Monkeys are awesome." I mean, they are, but owning one is exactly the kind of thing you do when you have too much money, not enough common sense, and no nose for cocaine. It’s the ultimate sign of Bieber’s low point, both sad and stupid but also the sign of a lost loser who needs someone to say “no.” Weaver is excellent at getting you to sympathize with Bieber while still rolling your eyes at his carnage. It reminds me a bit of GQ’s Tom Hiddleston profile, post-Hiddleswift Summer.

The thing most people remember clearest about this profile is the inclusion of Hailey Baldwin, daughter of one of the lesser Baldwin brothers (which is saying something), future model, and the future Mrs. Bieber. At this point in time, she was already rumoured to be his girlfriend, which inspired a lot of feelings in fans of his most famous ex, Selena Gomez. Justin asks if Hailey is in his hotel room, where he is essentially living at that moment in time. She is. And she is doing nothing. "no TV, no book, no phone, no computer, no music, no oil paints, nothing. She is pretty and polite and 19 and asks me, “What’s up?” I am impressed she does not hide in the bathroom with the shower running, which is what I would do if my super-famous rumored boyfriend showed up unannounced with a journalist in the middle of my day."

It’s a weird image, that of a teenage girl perched in anticipation for the arrival of a man. Detractors saw it as a sign that she had no personality separate from Bieber, something that’s plagued her for years. I can’t say I know much about her myself. She seems perfectly pleasant, a bit basic but very pretty and with a successful skincare line. She shared details of the charities she donated to after Hamas attacked Israel and Gaza was bombarded by the IDF, which included groups like the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, which I thought was solid of her. I can’t really blame celebrities, especially female ones, who decide to hide their personalities from the world for fear of hatred. After all, plenty of so-called Beliebers chanted “F*ck Hailey Bieber” at one of his gigs.

Bieber offers an explanation for why he's not ready to settle down yet that is both weirdly mature and exactly what a 21-year-old multi-millionaire who recently lost custody of his chimp would say. He doesn't want to be tied down at such a young age, largely because he's worried about screwing up all the added responsibilities of being a spouse. Says Justin about Hailey (who he says he's not dating at this time): "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. It’s really hard to fix wounds like that. It’s so hard.… I just don’t want to hurt her."

This is meant to be part of the comeback narrative, but Weaver seems unsure that Bieber is ready for it. Sure, the songs are bops but he doesn’t seem to be surrounded by people with his best interests at heart. After casually referencing his desire to wean himself off Adderall, he heralds the work of his new doctor, Carlon Colker. You may know him best as a celebrity physician and wellness king who is part of the MMA world and who was heralded as a medical hero by Shaquille O'Neal. Bieber calls him a "genius." Many in the medical community have other words for him. He's long been criticized for his shilling of dietary supplements, some of which faced class action suits, and infamously told Jeremy Piven to withdraw from a Broadway play he was working on because of fears of mercury poisoning from consuming too much sushi and Chinese herbal products. Bieber clams up when asked for elaboration on his treatment by Colker. He would later work with the doctor to bulk up for his Calvin Klein ads, wherein he celebrated the “miracle” supplement MYO-X. Colker later sold the marketing rights and trademarks for this supplement for over $1 million. According to some bodybuilder communities online, it has since been discontinued.

Weaver describes Bieber as having gone from a pristinely "polished" teen star to the more abrasive troublemaker he became. "Somewhere between egging a neighbor’s house and nodding off next to a Brazilian escort, he overshot it, sailing past “badass” into regular “bad.” Now he’s recalibrated again." There's an active attempt to make the narrative work here, and Weaver gets it. There's no fun in being the public bad guy, just like there's no easy way out of being the cutesy punching bag of the internet because you're a 15-year-old who tween girls love. "For the first time since he was a kid, Justin Bieber is regarded as neither a dork nor a monster," Weaver writes. That doesn’t mean Bieber is necessarily ready for the next stage. By the end of the profile, you wish he’d take a year off and just go be a 21-year-old who doesn’t have to worry about a few dozen people on his payroll.

He clearly had a lot of growing to do, and some understanding of why his behaviour was so messy, personally and professionally. It doesn’t seem like he ever had a moment to breathe. As Weaver savvily notes, the ultimate form of redemption is just being good at your job, in this case, it was Bieber releasing "an album of face-melting bangers." That took months of work and there was no way anyone was going to let him stop for a moment. The world tour won’t go on without him.

Nowadays, Bieber keeps a pretty low profile. In 2022, he cancelled several performances after revealing a diagnosis of severe facial paralysis. In 2023, he sold his music publishing rights and recording catalogue shares, up to the end of 2021, to Hipgnosis Songs Fund, for a reported $200 million. He allegedly turned down the chance to headline Coachella, and join Usher on-stage for the Super Bowl halftime show, and is at work on a new studio album. When he does make the headlines, it’s more for the weird ways that other people talk about his marriage to Hailey, including her own bananas father (she pushed back against these claims.) Hailey gets a lot of strange online vitriol, which is probably deserving of its own GRC issue. He is, aged 30, the old man of modern pop, eager to be a real RnB crooner, although it doesn’t seem to be where his true strengths lie. He seems at his happiest when he’s playing ice hockey and hanging out with his wife.

I came away from this profile with the similar kind of concern I have for most child stars: jeez, it really seems like we set these people up to fail, doesn't it? Fame is ridiculous, it makes you ridiculous, and exposing kids to its stifling demands is a recipe for disaster. Even those with the proper support systems in place aren’t guaranteed a safe route to adulthood. I talked about this in our Alicia Silverstone edition. When you create a child to be a cottage industry then seem surprised that the money, pressure, and mental anguish get to them, calling them an “a**hole” and gloating that their wife should divorce him seems, at best, a bit gross.

As I write this, the fallout from the documentary Quiet on Set is ongoing, with many former Nickelodeon child stars coming forward to talk about the abuses they either witnessed or faced. Figures of immense power were given the paid duty of controlling and belittling not only children but the adults who worked around them. We certainly have a greater awareness of the horrors of child stardom, but there’s little in the way of societal or legal change to keep up with this speedily evolving space. Frankly, a hell of a lot of grown adults still think that child stars are fair game for mockery and public humiliation because they’re famous. I’m hardly innocent in this, as I noted in my opening paragraph. Bieber can certainly testify to that.

Weaver ends the profile in an arcade with Bieber, where he seems happy to let loose and be a kid, making jokes with her and resolutely whooping her a** at every game. Then he "slips through a back door and into one of two identical black Range Rovers that have appeared in the parking lot. He’s been in New York less than 24 hours, but it’s time to fly back to the hotel where he lives." It's a bittersweet ending, fitting for Weaver's narrative, if not the glorious comeback one his PR were piecing together. In the end, Bieber came out on top with a big album and most of the world moved on from mocking him. There are always other Justin Biebers waiting in the wings.

(Image via Instagram.)

Thanks so much for reading. I’m sorry this one was late. After the Oscars, my schedule fell to pieces and the deadlines built up!

You can find my work all around the internet. Recently for Pajiba, I wrote about J.K. Rowling's latest descent into transphobic madness, the weird conservative mouth-frothing over Sydney Sweeney, and why it's easier than ever to get a Billboard Number One hit. For Paste, I wrote about why we need more hot muscled women in pop culture (Love Lies Bleeding is amazing!) On TheWrap, I reviewed 3 Body Problem and Mary & George. I celebrated Austin Butler’s weird bald space pervert performance in Dune: Part Two for The Daily Beast. I talked to some cool filmmakers for a piece on indie sci-fi cinema’s takes on time travel for Inverse. On Primetimer, I screamed about my love of Guy Ritchie and his new series, The Gentlemen.

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