By every standard, Justin Bieber is a success story. He was among the most well-known kid stars ever. He continues to be among the all-time best-selling vocalists to this day. When Bieber was first starting out, Usher was his guru, and the co-sign seemed to work wonders. Over the years, the two men have maintained their friendship. However, on January 14, things changed. In a highly visible move, Justin Bieber unfollowed Usher on Instagram. This sparked a lot of conjecture about how these two truly felt about one another.
Justin Bieber’s decision to distance himself from his mentor had a lot of fans confused. Some felt that it made sense, given that they were close over a decade ago. Bieber needed Usher’s help to break big, and both benefited from their association. They have gone on different paths over the years. This talking point actually came up during a 2024 interview with Usher. The iconic singer was asked whether Justin Bieber had been asked to join him during the Super Bowl halftime show. Usher told the Breakfast Club that he indeed asked but that Bieber politely declined.
“I think that it might’ve been the fact that he’s just wanting to tell a different story right now, and I understand that,” Usher stated. “But we did have a brief conversation, and we’re going to do something else in the future. But no love lost or anything like that.” The bit about love being lost rings a bit more hollow on the heels of Justin Bieber’s unfollow. Other fans speculate that their growing distance has to do with the ongoing Diddy scandal. Diddy mentored Usher, and the latter introduced Bieber to Diddy. It has been widely alleged that the Bad Boy founder exposed both singers to unsavory acts at a young age.
Justin Bieber has not spoken on his experiences as a teen, but he has alluded to them. During a 2020 interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Bieber expressed a desire to protect upcoming singers like Billy Eilish. “I’m going to be here for her,” he asserted. “I don’t want her to go through anything I went through. I don’t wish that upon anybody.” There’s more to the story than the public knows. It remains to be seen if it will ever come to light.
Leave a comment