It seems like every move Justin Bieber makes lately gets him in hot water. From a verbal spat with his neighbor to being called out by former NFL player Keyshawn Johnson for speeding in a residential community, Bieber has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
But if anyone knows what the 19-year-old is going through, it’s his mentor, Usher, who also grew up in the spotlight, releasing his first single at age 15. On Wednesday (May 29), the “Voice” coach stopped by “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and came to the pop star’s defense.
“Keyword, you started with, ‘young,’ ” Usher said when asked about Justin. “I think all of us, in some ways, have humble beginnings that pan out to be incredible and we hope that in his transition — as friends and family who have helped him be who he is — that he will continue to just mature.”
Usher went on to tell Ellen that he’s in constant contact with Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun and when he “can be of help,” he reaches out to Justin directly. The singer also acknowledged that life in the spotlight these days is a lot different than what he had to deal with when he was starting out, and that makes it more difficult to make mistakes.
“In this days’ age of social media, there’s no privacy, and that kind of trial-and-elimination period is kind of done in front of a camera,” Usher said. “It’s been done and many, many other celebrities are a product of it and some come out bad and some come out good, and I’m hoping for the best.”
At the end of the day, Usher doesn’t see Bieber’s recent behavior as a sign of trouble to come. He thinks Bieber is just acting his age: “I don’t look at it as a negative, though. I look at it as a teenager, a teenager having to live his life in front of a camera.”
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