Justin Bieber sparked concern this month with his seemingly erratic behaviour

Justin Bieber isn’t letting the internet’s speculation get to him.

After fans expressed concern over his recent behaviour, the pop star appeared to clap back in a new Instagram Story.

In the clip, posted Thursday, Bieber, 30, smoked a joint and danced, grinning between puffs as he looked straight into the camera.

The move came after a viral video from Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skin event sparked online chatter.

In the clip, Bieber stood with his hands gripping his pants, shifting his weight while chatting with a guest. Another shot showed him staring blankly at the camera as Hailey playfully licked his cheek.

Fans quickly speculated about his state of mind. “This is so hard to watch. Someone help him,” one person wrote on TikTok, while another added, “He looks like there is something wrong.”

Despite the rumors, sources told TMZ that Bieber “wasn’t high” at the event, adding he was simply enjoying himself. His rep also dismissed the speculation as “exhausting and pitiful,” pushing back against the “negative, salacious, harmful narratives” surrounding the new dad.

Bieber, who has kept a lower profile lately, has reportedly been busy in the studio and focused on fatherhood. His rep noted that the past year has been “transformative” after he and Hailey welcomed their first child, Jack Blues, in August.

Justin Bieber’s Wife Hailey Reportedly Faces Fresh Calls To ‘Leave’ The Singer Amid Bizarre Behavior

Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber have been plagued by rumors of marital discord following a series of questionable public appearances and social media acts.

However, insiders have now given a peek into their relationship, revealing that Hailey’s friends have been asking her to “leave” the singer.

Following a series of disheveled appearances, fans speculated that Justin Bieber was using “hard drugs,” but his rep has spoken up, explaining he hasn’t been getting enough rest.

Hailey Bieber’s Friends Want Her To ‘Leave’ Justin Bieber

Hailey and Justin have sparked rumors of a rift when the singer appeared to briefly “unfollow” the businesswoman on Instagram in January, only to come online later to explain that he’d been “hacked.”

The “Sorry” hitmaker has also been publicly spotted looking gaunt and disheveled generally, with the Rhodes Beauty founder rarely seen with him.

At one point, they dined separately at the same restaurant in West Village, with Justin arriving around 45 minutes after his wife had left.

According to the Daily Mail, insiders have spoken up about their 6-year marriage, explaining that the couple is going through a rough patch and that Hailey’s friends want her to “leave” the singer.

Justin Bieber Is ‘Disturbed’ By The ‘Diddy News’

Justin is also said to be “disturbed” by the much-publicized news surrounding his former musical mentor, Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Diddy was arrested last September for alleged sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

While Justin made waves as a teenager, Diddy partly took him under his wing and spent an infamous 48-hour period together unsupervised.

A resurfaced clip of their 2011 appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2011 showed the embattled hip-hop mogul say they’d “become friends in a strange way” while also shunning a then 16-year-old Justin from “talking about the things that he does with big brother Puff on national television.”

“[Justin] is so disturbed by the Diddy news and is unwilling to process it or discuss it, so he has shut off,” a source told the Daily Mail.

Selena Gomez’s Engagement To Benny Blanco May Also Be Affecting The Singer

Reports also suggest that Hailey and Justin’s marriage could be haunted by his past relationship with pop star Selena Gomez.

Justin and Gomez dated on and off between 2010 and 2018 before calling it quits. She got engaged to boyfriend Benny Blanco in December, which sources claim didn’t sit right with the “Baby” singer.

A source told the news outlet that Justin had “mixed feelings” about Gomez and Blanco’s engagement as he considered Blanco one of his “closest friends.”

“[Justin] confided in Benny about his heartbreak over Selena,” the source added. “In a way, Justin felt betrayed [over the engagement], even though he knew he had no right to feel that way.”

Hailey Bieber Has Her Own ‘Struggles,’ Too

It seems to be a situation where both parties could take the blame for their alleged marital discord, as sources say Hailey has also been dealing with her “struggles,” which has perhaps inadvertently put a strain on their romance.

“She has been struggling with the emotional turmoil that many women experience after having a baby,” a source told the Daily Mail. “Justin has been bearing the brunt of it.”

The couple welcomed their first child, Jack Blues, on August 23, 2024. However, other sources think Justin is more to blame as his alleged “loose cannon” behavior has impacted their relationship.

“Hailey loves him madly, but he’s a loose cannon,” a source explained. “Some of her friends have advised her to go it alone and leave him.”

Justin Bieber Breaks Silence On His Disheveled Looks

The “Never Say Never” singer broke his silence on why he was seen looking disheveled and gaunt in public.

A rep for the singer told TMZ that the rumors are “absolutely not true,” adding that Justin is starting to feel drained by the rumors that he is struggling with his mental and physical health.

“The recurring narrative that Justin is using hard drugs is absolutely not true,” the rep told the news outlet, adding that his client is actually “in one of the best places in his life.”

Justin is said to be focused on “actively parenting his newborn son” with Hailey and is working on making new music.

The rep also added that the singer, who turns 31 on Saturday, has endured a “very transformative” past year, in which “he ended several close friendships and business relationships that no longer served him.”

The insider added that Justin’s weary appearance was the result of restless nights recording in the studio, as he’d stayed up “caring for his son who was having trouble falling asleep as well.”

The rep added that the rumors about his mental and physical health are “exhausting and pitiful and shows that despite the obvious truth, people are committed to keeping negative, salacious, harmful narratives alive.”