The 31-year-old singer is juggling a whirlwind of life changes, including becoming a new dad, working on new music, and navigating strained relationships with longtime friends and collaborators. According to a source close to Justin and his wife Hailey Bieber, “Justin has felt lost recently. His friend group around him has shifted, and he is going through a lot of changes.”
One major adjustment: fatherhood. Justin and Hailey, 28, quietly welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Jack Blues, in August 2024. While they’ve kept things private, sources say Justin is still adjusting to the new responsibilities.
“Navigating fatherhood, trying to put out music, and having old traumas resurface, it’s been overwhelming,” the insider adds.
That emotional weight may be one reason Justin’s next album has been delayed. His personal and professional life have been in flux since parting ways with longtime manager Scooter Braun in 2023. More recently, he distanced himself from Ryan Good, a close childhood friend and cofounder of his fashion brand, Drew House. In April, Justin publicly announced he was stepping away from the brand, and a month later, reports surfaced that Good believed Justin’s church, Churchome, was cult-like, a claim strongly denied by lead pastor Judah Smith.
“People close to him are worried he may be surrounding himself with the wrong influences,” the source tells Us Weekly. “He’s cut off a lot of friends and is having a hard time trusting people, especially when it comes to his music and business.”
Justin’s team hasn’t commented directly on the recent concerns, but fans and former collaborators have taken notice. Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, who co-wrote some of Justin’s biggest hits, recently told The Hollywood Reporter, “Whatever he’s going through, I pray for him and hope he’s OK.”
An anonymous former team member expressed deeper concern, saying, “Watching him right now feels like seeing someone completely disconnected from their purpose. He’s lost. There’s no one around him who can say ‘no’, and if you do, you’re out.”
Despite the noise, Justin is trying to take control of his story. In March, he opened up on Instagram, sharing that he has “always felt unworthy” and continues to struggle with inner demons. On June 16, he posted again, describing himself as “broken” and acknowledging he deals with “anger issues.”
“I’ve spent my whole life trying to be like the people who told me I needed to be fixed,” he wrote. “And it just keeps making me more tired and more angry. The harder I try to grow, the more focused on myself I become.”
Meanwhile, Hailey has been thriving in her own lane. Her skincare brand, Rhode, hit a major milestone in May when it was acquired by e.l.f. Beauty for a reported $1 billion. While Justin stays relatively low-key, Hailey has been active in the beauty and fashion space, balancing her booming business and new role as a mom.
The Biebers, who secretly tied the knot in 2018, are clearly walking two very different paths, but still side by side. As Justin continues working through personal struggles and searching for clarity, those close to him hope he finds peace, purpose, and the support he needs to move forward.
