Justin Bieber really let loose while attending the Coachella music festival in Indio, Calif., in mid-April. In one video posted online, the shirtless — and noticeably gaunt — singer looks dazed as he sways to music. In another, the Canadian star is seen smoking what appears to be marijuana as his wife of six years, Hailey, is forced to intervene and usher Justin’s 15-year-old brother, Jaxon, away from him and his hard-partying friends.

In the days after, fans expressed renewed alarm over the star’s behavior, commenting that he seems “strung out” and like he’s “spinning out of control.” For months, concern has been mounting about whether the 31-year-old — who welcomed his first child, son Jack Blues, with Hailey, 28, last August — is doing OK amid reports of drug use and mental health struggles as well as new questions about his close ties to the L.A.-based spiritual community Churchome. Now, sources close to Ryan Good, Justin’s former friend and business partner, say he believes the church is a cult and is using Justin for his money and star power. “Justin is clearly struggling, and he needs help,” an insider tells Star. “Hailey is trying to be supportive, but she’s worried he’s slipping further over the edge.”

@_shaqo Me and Bieber went dumb! They not like us! #fyp #notlikeus #coachella @Justin Bieber ♬ original sound – Shaqo

Keeping The Faith

One cause for worry is that the “Never Say Never” singer has been cutting off old friends and associates. Instead, sources say, in recent years Justin has become more and more attached to Churchome’s nondenominational Christian community, regularly attending services on Zoom. As he’s distanced himself from former friends and team members like Scooter Braun and Ryan (who was best man at Justin’s 2019 wedding), he’s gotten close with Churchome’s pastor — and his spiritual advisor — Judah Smith (they have matching tattoos).

In early April, Justin announced he’s no longer involved in his fashion brand, Drew House, which he cofounded with Ryan in 2019, telling fans, “Don’t waste your money on drewhouse.” Days later, he released images from his new brand, Skylrk, along with a disturbing ani- mated video in which he rides an electric scooter (as in Scooter Braun) to a house (think: Drew House) that he promptly burns down. Before the split, Justin had brought Judah on as a Drew House board member, despite his lack of business background, which a source says led to tension behind
the scenes.

The final straw with Ryan reportedly came when the former road manager quit Churchome. (TMZ reported that Ryan felt Judah was “controlling” the “Peaches” singer.) “Justin is loyal to the church and credits his faith for keeping him sane,” says the insider, noting that Justin leaned on his faith when both he and Hailey battled serious health issues in 2022. “Anyone who’s tried to come between Justin and his pastor tends to get erased from Justin’s life.”

According to the insider, people around Justin are worried about Judah’s intentions with the new dad, “Like, maybe it has more to do with his money and fame than saving a soul.” Churchome currently draws roughly 10,000 members a week, including fellow celebs Kourtney Kardashian and Ciara and her husband, Russell Wilson. “The fear is Justin’s being taken advantage of and he doesn’t know it.”

It’s a familiar scenario for the star, who rocketed to fame after Scooter discovered him on YouTube in 2007. Indeed, those who remain in Justin’s inner circle claim Ryan and Scooter are simply bitter that they’ve lost access to their moneymaker. (Justin has an estimated net worth of $300 million.) “Justin’s a vulnerable guy,” says the insider. “People have been taking advantage of him since he was a teenager.”

Hailey’s Worst Fear

One thing that isn’t in question is Justin’s recreational drug use. He’s been openly smoking what is almost certainly weed in photos and videos, and the insider says he’s been turning to marijuana “a lot more lately. He doesn’t even try to hide it.”

Hailey’s worried about her husband, who’s been open about abusing Xanax and suffering from mental health issues in the past. “She wants him to be a good role model for their son, but he keeps doing all this crazy stuff,” says the insider. (In recent Instagram posts, he’s talked about anger issues and said, “I think I hate myself sometimes.”)

It’s a delicate situation. The singer has been Hailey’s dream guy since she was 12, when they met backstage at Today. They were first romantically linked in 2014. “Hailey has loved Justin for so long, and now it seems her dream is eroding,” says the insider. Now she fears pushing him past his limit. “She’d like to see him deal with his mental issues, but she doesn’t want to lose him,” says the insider. “She’s afraid he’s going to go off the deep end.”