Justin Bieber posted not one, not two, but six photos of himself using a glass bong on March 3. Before long, fans flooded his Instagram comments with concerns. “The poor guy needs help,” wrote one. “I hope that he can see it himself, and that he opts to get better not only for himself but for his baby too.” The “Sorry” singer’s status as a new dad to son Jack, 6 months, had others deeming the images inappropriate, as well. Though it’s unclear exactly what Justin was smoking, a follower scolded: “You cannot be a present parent and be high AF. Pick one.” Meanwhile, another proclaimed, “You need to grow up and start acting like a father. He’s priority now, not weed.” Justin, lamented an additional commenter, is “clearly spiraling.”
The backlash was brutal. Especially since just a week earlier — following months of public unease about his increasingly gaunt, tired and red-eyed appearance — a rep for Justin, 31, and wife Hailey Bieber, 28, told TMZ the Grammy winner wasn’t using hard drugs, branding ongoing speculation about his mental and physical health “exhausting.” But according to a source, fears for Justin are warranted. “His behavior’s been troubling for some time. What fans are seeing now is just a small taste of what his life is really like,” a source exclusively tells Life & Style. “He goes through periods where he isolates, then periods where he’s active and will spend time with friends. Justin can also have pretty intense low periods.” It’s rough for him, confirms the source, and also “takes a toll on Hailey.”
Hailey Bieber Is Standing By Justin Bieber Amid His Health Struggles
Friends are worried, too — for the couple and their six-year marriage. And Hailey ’s been under pressure to do something. The model “loves him madly but he’s a loose cannon. Some of her friends have advised her to go it alone and leave him,” an insider told the Daily Mail in February. Adds Life & Style’s source: “She’s at her breaking point.”
But she won’t leave Justin when he needs her most , she’s previously vowed. Three years into their marriage, Hailey recounted a difficult period early on when Justin, who’s been candid about his past issues with substance abuse and depression, was struggling with his mental health. Hailey called her mom “crying,” insisting, “I just can’t do it,” she confessed on the “In Good Faith With Chelsea & Judah Smith” podcast. Then, she made a decision to not give up. “Imagine abandoning somebody in the middle of the worst time of their life,” she said, adding, “I’m not that type of a person. I was going to stick it out no matter what the outcome was going to be.”
The same year, she credited their shared Christian faith with keeping their marriage intact, explaining on an episode of “In Conversation With” that it’s “the most important part of our relationship.”
Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber Have Faced Split Rumors
The last few months have been fraught with drama. Split speculation — fueled by a TikToker’s claims the Biebers spent the holidays apart — made headlines in December 2024, weeks before Justin raised extra eyebrows by unfollowing Hailey on Instagram. He later claimed he was hacked. In February, both were in NYC, but were rarely seen together, reports pointed out. (They even dined separately, at the same restaurant, 45 minutes apart one night.) Since then, however, they’ve put on a more united front.
According to Justin’s rep, this year has been “very transformative” for the star. He “ended several close friendships and business relationships that no longer served him,” his rep told TMZ on February 23, further insisting he’s in one of the best places in his life. In January, Justin suddenly unfollowed and reportedly blocked five people on Instagram who were once part of his inner circle — including , most notably, friend and former manager Scooter Braun, with whom he parted ways professionally last year.
Hailey Bieber Hopes Justin Bieber Can Get Better
Hailey’s public support has been unwavering. It’s also come at a cost for the Rhode Beauty founder. “Justin says she’s the person he leans on most. That’s not an easy position to be in, especially while trying to balance new motherhood and her career,” explains the source. “It’s hard for her to ask for help from Justin, so she ends up shouldering most of this on her own.”
They love each other very much “and divorce isn’t an option right now,” adds the source, “but Hailey and people close to her are hoping Justin can turn things around.”
