Justin Bieber fans think he's 'trolling' critics as he releases new video after being forced to respond to drug use claims

Justin Bieber appears to be 'trolling' critics and well-meaning fans after he was forced to respond to 'drug use' rumours.

The 'Baby' singer's behaviour has been worrying fans over the past few weeks, after images of him appearing bleary-eyed and dishevelled began to appear online.

Concerns only grew after footage of Bieber smiling and giggling to himself at a pop-up event for wife Hailey's Rhode cosmetic went viral, prompting a fierce rebuttal from his team over allegations of drug use.

And now it would appear that Bieber himself has weighed in on the debate... by sharing a video of himself enjoying a smoke.

Justin Bieber's recent appearance has been a cause for concern among fans (Aeon/GC Images)

Taking to Instagram Stories, the singer posted a video of himself smoking what appeared to be a roll-up cigarette and smirking to the camera.

In the minute-long clip Bieber can be seen blowing smoke into the camera and flashing his immaculately straight teeth while smoke billows around him. Take a look at his 'response' below:

Now I don't know about you guys, but I think he might be trolling.

Although fans understandably remain concerned about their fave, the consensus among Beliebers who've seen the clip is that he's merely uploading videos alluding to drug use as a means of poking fun at critics.

"Lmao he's trolling," one fan commented on a Reddit thread discussing the topic.

"He’s definitely mocking everyone who’s been talking s**t about him LOL," a second person wrote.

"He really dgaf ab them rumours it's so funny to see him clap back silently," a third penned.

Others even suggested the video's use of the 'clean' filter was another pointed response to the allegations.

"Even the filter he used is named 'clean'," noted an eagle-eyed fan, as another added: "The filter being 'clean' is def not a coincidence lol."

Fans think Bieber's video sent a clear message (Instagram/@justinbieber)

Fans were convinced the clip was the singer 'trolling' critics (Instagram/@justinbieber)

However some fans haven't been convinced by Bieber's cheeky posts on social media, with several people voicing their concerns under a recent clip of him rapping about being 'high' while on a plane with a friend.

"I like a fly guy, I fly high like a magpie, I go high like I'm that guy," he sang in the video while holding a bag of crisps.

"It is so sad to see my childhood idol become something else. I think fame really crushed him," one fan wrote.

"This story isn’t going to end well," added a second follower.

A representative for Bieber recently addressed the drug use allegations directly, telling TMZ that rumours about the singer using drugs were 'absolutely not true'.

"The recurring narrative that Justin is using hard drugs is absolutely not true," Bieber's rep told the outlet, adding that he was 'in one of the best places in his life'.