Justin Bieber’s tearful speech about protecting Billie Eilish from the music industry has resurfaced amid Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest.
The 30-year-old hitmaker has been in the industry since he was just 15 and over the years has battled mental health issues in the spotlight.
In 2020, when Bieber was promoting his album Changes and Billie Eilish had burst onto the scene, he reached out to her to offer insight and support into the industry.
“I just want to protect her. I don’t want her to go through what I went through. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone,” Bieber said as he fought back tears.
Eilish was, at the time, enjoying a meteoric rise to fame thanks to her hit album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Speaking candidly about his wider struggles in the industry during the album’s promotional tour, Bieber said: ‘It was bad… It was dark.
Eilish was, at the time, enjoying a meteoric rise to fame thanks to her hit album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Bieber’s professional relationship with Diddy early in his career has been thrust back into the spotlight this week following Diddy’s arrest on sex trafficking charges.
Diddy was formally charged with years of coercion and abuse as he used blackmail and violence to control his victims.
He has also been accused of inducing female victims and male sex workers to engage in drugged sexual acts, sometimes lasting several days, known as “freak offs.”
Speaking candidly about his wider struggles in the industry during the album’s promotional tour, Bieber said: ‘It was bad… It was dark.
“Think about how young I was and how impressionable I was, and everyone was telling me all the time how amazing I am… I just want people to understand the psychology of why I could potentially have problems in my life.”
Bieber said he had been “living in this shame, all this kind of stuff with my past” but that he “wanted to be a good example” for Eilish.
‘It was hard for me, being so young and being in the industry, not knowing where to turn and with everyone telling me they loved me and then turning their back on me in a second.
“So if she ever needs me, I’ll be here for her… I’m just a phone call away.”
Bieber encouraged people to “look at my story” through his music, adding: “I hope my words can make a difference.”
Bieber and Diddy had a close professional relationship during the early years of the Baby hitmaker’s career.
Bieber and Diddy had a close relationship during the early years of the Baby hitmaker’s career.
In one clip, Diddy stands next to Bieber, then 15, and tells the camera: ‘He’s spending 48 hours with Diddy, we can’t reveal where we are and what we’re doing.’
“But it’s definitely every 15-year-old’s dream.”
The 54-year-old hip hop mogul added: “I’ve been given custody of her. She’s signed to Usher and I had legal guardianship of Usher when he made his first album.”
Khloe Kardashian recalled running into Justin Bieber at one of Diddy’s star-studded parties, where she revealed that “half the guests were naked.”
Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges against him last week and was denied bail, despite his legal team’s request that he be released on $50 million and kept under electronic monitoring.
The artist is accused of using “power and prestige” to attract and intimidate women under “the guise of a romantic relationship.”
Prosecutors said they had interviewed more than 50 victims and witnesses and expect the number to rise.
