Justin Bieber makes emotional plea about what 'happened' to him as child
The Canadian star said the music industry 'rewarded his gift but didn't always protect his soul' in a series of poignant posts
Justin Bieber has opened up about the 'anger' he has carried since he was catapulted to stardom when he was just a teenager.
The Canadian crooner, 31, took the music world by storm when he burst onto the scene as a floppy-haired 15-year-old with his debut single 'One Time' in 2009.
His career went from strength to strength upon the release of his first album, My World 2.0, the following year and posters of the teeny bopper were plastered on pretty much every young girls bedroom wall.
After his YouTube videos were discovered by Scooter Braun, he hit the ground running - and various industry titans such as disgraced rapper Diddy and R&B singer Usher were keen to take him under their wing.
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"I went from a 13-year-old boy from a small town to being praised left and right by the world, with millions saying how much they loved me and how great I was," Bieber said in 2019.
"You hear these things enough as a young boy and you actually start believing it."
But although it appeared as though the singer was living every teenager's dream, it seems that behind closed doors, Bieber was privately battling against a lot of pressure.
In a series of emotive Instagram posts shared over the Christmas period, the father-of-one spoke out about the lasting scars his rise to fame during his adolescence has left on him.
He told his 292 million followers that he 'didn't come out of this untouched', although he has now 'healed'.
Bieber also called on moguls in the music industry to introduce measures that will protect other youngsters who might find themselves in a similar position - and although he 'doesn't want revenge', he wants 'redemption'.
In one post, the star wrote: "What happens when a person is gifted, young, visible - and placed inside a powerful system that doesn't prioritise the soul?
"The music industry can be extractive: It rewards performance more than wholeness. Image over identity. Output over inner life. That kind of pressure changes a person - and not gently."
The 'Baby' singer has previously been candid with fans about how he suffered 'an emotional breakdown' shortly after getting married to wife Hailey in 2019. He admitted that he thought getting hitched would 'fix all his problems', only to realise it didn't.
In a second poignant post shared to social media last week, Bieber shared 'a message' to the world about how his experiences in the entertainment industry have shaped him as a person.
"I grew up in a system that rewarded my gift but didn't always protect my soul," he said. "There were moments I felt used, rushed, shaped into something I didn't fully choose.
"That kind of pressure leaves wounds you don't see on stage," Bieber continued. "I've carried anger. I've asked God why.
"But Jesus keeps meeting me in the middle of the pain - not excusing what hurt me, but teaching me how not to become bitter."
In the caption of this post, he explained he had taken 'time to reflect' over the Christmas period, which 'reminded him of all he has been through'.
In a third upload to Instagram, Bieber referenced a series of Biblical passages which discussed 'healing', being 'free' and 'overcoming evil with good'.
He also wrote: "I'm not speaking as a victim still bleeding - I'm speaking as someone restored. Because I'm healed I can forgive. Not to pretend injustice didn't happen, but so it doesn't keep living through me.
"I don't want revenge. I want redemption. I don't want to destroy the industry. I want it transformed. What happened to me was real. But it doesn't get the final word.
"Jesus didn't just help me cope - He restored my identity. I'm not a product. I'm not what the industry demanded.
"I'm a son. I don't want to burn the music industry down. I want to see it made new - safer, more honest, more human."
Bieber said that religion has 'healed him so he could help change what once hurt him'.
Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Justin Bieber, Music, Mental Health
Olivia Burke