The Truth About Justin Bieber's Relationship With His Father
Too late to say sorry? Singer-songwriter Justin Bieber has had a tumultuous relationship with his father, Jeremy Bieber, for most of his life. Since the Canadian hitmaker was primarily raised by his single mother, Pattie Mallette, who was also his manager and often spotted on the road with him, his dad was painted to be an absent parent.
Yet, while the Bieber men might have been at odds in the past, it appears they have been making up for lost time in more recent years. For Father's Day 2020, for example, the "Baby" singer gave a shoutout to his dad with a throwback Instagram photo of Justin as an infant in his papa's arms. "Happy Father's Day Dad!" he wrote. "Sucks I can't be with you today but grateful Bay, Jaxo, Allie and Jazzy get to spend time with you!!" the star went on to caption the image, referring to stepsiblings. "Xoxo have an AMAZING DAY!"
But how did Justin and Jeremy reach this point? Keep scrolling for more details on Justin Bieber's relationship with his dad.
Jeremy Bieber wasn't ready for fatherhood when Justin was born
Although pop star Justin Bieber's parents never wed, the former couple welcomed their son when father Jeremy Bieber was only 18 and mother Pattie Mallette was just 17. At the time of his birth, Justin said his dad was "not in a place where he could raise a kid" in a 2015 interview with Billboard. "He was immature. He left for like a year when I was about 4, went to British Columbia, came back on Father's Day. I remember my mom said, 'If you're going to be here, you have to be here.'"
Despite their rocky start, Justin assured the outlet that Jeremy eventually stepped up as a paternal figure. "There's a misconception that he's this deadbeat dad, but he has been in my life since," he said at the time, adding, "I was with him on weekends and Wednesdays." While Jeremy is often portrayed as a negative influence in the "Holy" singer's life, the heartthrob said he's been a great role model, and the two often exchange Bible verses and share a deep connection.
He had legal troubles during Justin Bieber's childhood
Amidst the legal drama from his drag racing arrest in 2014, Justin Bieber gave an Instagram shout-out to his dad. "I have the greatest dad in the world," he wrote, adding that his father was his "superhero." Still, anyone who's ever watched a Marvel movie knows that even the most courageous superheroes are flawed. As it turns out, past legal trouble may just be part of the family tree.
According to Radar, who obtained Canadian court records, Bieber's dad had a few run-ins with the law in the 1990s and early 2000s. During their 1995 custody battle over Justin, mom Pattie Mallette claimed that dad Jeremy Bieber had a "long history of criminal activity" and allegedly threatened to kidnap their son. This was just the beginning of what's on record. In 1997, Justin's father was booked on an "assault or causing bodily harm" charge and spent a brief 90-day stint behind bars. After his release, he broke probation twice and landed nearly two months of additional jail time. Then, in 2002, Jeremy was cuffed for alleged "assault with a weapon causing bodily harm," though the case was eventually dismissed. Radar also claimed that Jeremy "had several run-ins with the law" in front of Justin.
However, it does seem like the duo have thankfully come a long way since both of their numerous arrests. Like father, like son.
Jeremy Bieber's parenting style has raised some eyebrows
Even though Justin Bieber said his dad is a great influence behind closed doors, Jeremy Bieber has made some public remarks that have caused a stir amongst JBiebs' fans. Back in October 2015, for example, Jeremy made a crude comment after nude photos of the "Yummy" singer were leaked on social media. "@justinbieber what do you feed that thing. #proud daddy," Jeremy wrote in a tweet that has since been deleted (via ET).
While many people were shocked that Justin's dad would make a joke about his son's "privacy," the Biebs himself told Billboard that's just his dad's sense of humor and his way of teaching his son to roll with the punches. "I felt super violated. My dad made light of it, but I don't think that's sick and twisted," he told the outlet. "It was funny. Dads are going to be dads."
Even so, his father's comment started a beef with actor Bette Midler, who slammed Jeremy in on Twitter with, "I think the biggest d**k in this situation is the dad who abandoned his son." Addressing her statement in Mariah Carey-esque fashion, Justin told Billboard, "I don't even know who that is, honestly."
Justin Bieber's love for his siblings keeps him close to his father
Although Jeremy Bieber wasn't ready to be a dad during Justin Bieber's early years of life, he slid into the role seamlessly with his other children. Jeremy is also father to daughter Jazmyn and son Jaxon from his marriage to Erin Wagner. After the pair divorced following seven years together, he went on to marry Chelsey Bieber in 2018, and together they welcomed daughter Bay that same year. Jeremy is also stepfather to Chelsey's daughter, Allie Rebelo, from a previous relationship.
Considering the big age gap between Justin and his pre-teen siblings, he's acted as a father figure in their lives. He often gushes over them on social media, and it seems like they are interested in the family business. In May 2020, for example, Jazmyn posted a photo in the studio with her big brother, where he can be seen showing her the ropes. "Learning from the best @justinbieber," she captioned the sweet Instagram picture.
Justin's strong connection to his siblings keeps him on good terms with his dad. That same month, the singer posted a photo with his dad and brother all in matching outfits. "FAM," he wrote with a red heart, tagging his proud papa. From the looks of their coordinating attire, we would say they have a pretty solid relationship today.
They have nothing but love for each other now
Apparently, it never is too late to say sorry. Justin Bieber may have had a rocky start with his father, but now that the singer is an adult, it seems like they've managed to repair their relationship. Today, there's nothing but love — and they aren't afraid to gush about it on social media. In fact, that seems to be their preferred place to show support.
More recently, the father-son duo spent March 2022 using Instagram to take a stroll down memory lane. It all started when Jeremy Bieber shared a sweet photo of Justin as a newborn to celebrate the singer's 28th birthday. Days later, the "Peaches" singer posted an Instagram tribute to his father. The too-sweet photo — captioned with, "Love you dad" — depicted a young Justin and his father playing during a family beach outing. Jeremy followed that up with yet another childhood photo of Justin, alongside the caption, "Love you son!" Talk about an adorable call and response.
The streak ended a few weeks later when Jeremy — along with Justin's four half siblings — visited the singer on his "Justice Tour." The father shared an image from the backstage family reunion, claiming he was a "proud daddy." When your kid is a multi-platinum recording artist, how could you not be proud?