Justin Bieber's confession about his drug use and mental problems
Justin Bieber opened up and wrote an emotional text on Instagram describing how he became "the most hated person in the world" for his "bad decisions" in his early 20s.
The star, discovered by music manager Scooter Braun at age 13, admitted to using hard drugs and abusing his relationships.
"I became resentful, disrespectful of women, and moody," he wrote.
"I distanced myself from everyone who loved me, I felt that I could never change him."
Bieber, who has always been outspoken about his mental health issues, also explained that the constant praise he received as a teenager had distorted his outlook on life.
"At 13, I came out of a small town to be flattered from left to right by the world, with millions saying how much they loved me and how cool I was," he said.
"You hear that stuff as a kid and you really start to believe it."
"Everyone did everything for me, so I never learned the basics of responsibility," he explained on Instagram.
"One problem after another"
At 18, the Canadian singer already had "millions in the bank" and "access to whatever he wanted", but "had no real world skills."
And at 19, he said he had been taking "hard drugs" and "abused" the relationship he had.
"I made every bad decision you could think of and went from being one of the most lovable and loved people to the most ridiculous, judged and hated."
Bieber was arrested multiple times in 2014 for crimes such as vandalism or driving under the influence of alcohol, though the charges were later reduced to improper driving.
"It's hard to get up every morning when you feel like one problem after another is coming," he wrote.
"Sometimes it can get to the point where you don't even want to live anymore. You feel like nothing is going to change."
However, the singer, who is also a devout Christian, said that his faith and the support of family and friends, including his wife Hailey Baldwin, had helped turn his life around.
"It has taken me years to recover from all these terrible decisions, fix broken relationships and change relationship habits," he wrote.
"Fortunately, God blessed me with extraordinary people who love me. Now I am sailing in the best stage of my life, MARRIED! He added.
After his message on Instagram, fans flooded Bieber's words with messages of support and love.
"Mistakes were made, but the truth is that you found your way to a better place," wrote one. "I am proud to be a Believer."
Bieber's former bodyguard, Kenny Hamilton, also left his comments: "Proud of how far you've come. We are all here to support you."
And Kyle Massey, star of the Disney show That's So Raven, thanked Bieber for shedding light on the "ups and downs" that come with achieving fame at such a young age.
"The point of view of a child star is something that most of the media and people ignore," continues the singer's statement. "My family and friends are the only reason I've been able to keep my head forward."
Bieber took a long break from music after canceling 14 shows from his 2017 tour, saying, "I want my mind, heart and soul to be sustainable."
Most recently, he appeared as a guest vocalist on Ed Sheeran's single I Don´t Care, which has sparked rumors about a possible comeback with solo material.
