Sad reality of Justin Bieber’s first Father’s Day.

“I’m a dad that’s not to be f**ked with.” 

Justin Bieber is celebrating his first Father’s Day.

But his posts commemorating the occasion aren’t exactly Hallmark-worthy. In fact, it’s not the kind of message you expect on any day, let alone one meant for celebration.

A black-and-white selfie leads the charge, captioned: “I’m a dad that’s not to be f**ked with.” 

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.

RELATED: Stop trying to make Sabrina Carpenter into a role model for your kids 

An Instagram feed in freefall 

In the hours that followed, the 31-year-old shared more than a dozen cryptic posts, photos of his legs and feet, one of him lying on the floor while wife, Hailey Bieber, and their son, Jack Blues Bieber, play piano.  

Many of which simply had a middle finger emoji as the caption. 

He’s treating his public page like a spam account. A publicist’s nightmare.

But maybe Justin’s already living one.

Nothing lately has been picture-perfect for the singer, and honestly, it’s heartbreaking to watch. 

More than ever, it seems Justin Bieber has had enough. It’s high time we backed off.

This current chapter of his career is starting to feel eerily reminiscent of Britney Spears circa 2007 - and we all know how that ended. 

Justin Bieber has sparked concern with his Father's Day posts. Image: Instagram/JustinBieber

RELATED: ‘Why dad alone, when we can dad together?' 

"Your concern doesn’t come off as care" 

The most recent post in his flurry of updates was an Instagram Story layered over a text message exchange with an unknown contact. 

Over the top Justin wrote: “Quit asking me if i’m okay. Quit asking me how I’m doing. I didn’t do that to you. Because I know how life is for all of us. It’s hard. Lets encourage our people, not project our insecurities onto one another. Your concern doesn’t come off as care. It’s just oppressive, weirdo.” 

There’s a good chance this was aimed at the mystery person in the texts, but it reads like a message to all of us who consume his celebrity.

Asking “Are you okay, Justin?” should come from a place of care. But too often, it doesn’t.

It’s not about concern. It’s about content. It’s voyeuristic. It’s loud. It’s public. And that’s the heartbreaking part.

Because we should care. We should want him to be okay. But the way we go about it? The constant questioning, the comments, the pressure to perform wellness. It’s not helping.

His fatherhood feels like collateral damage in all of this. Even more so when he's spent the day blasting Instagram with rude finger emojis.

What are we doing to these celebrities as a society to leave them so visibly miserable? To then criticise them for it. 

We’re creating a cycle of generational hurt for these celebrity children. Pain they will one day uncover, archived in every headline, every viral clip, every intrusive caption. 

It might be the price you pay to have your name in lights. But at what cost? 

Justin and Hailey Bieber at the 2022 Grammys. Image: Angela Weiss/AFP

RELATED: 'Rough 13 years': Lonely dad asks heartbreaking question 

Justin Bieber is a father before he's a headline

Over the weekend, footage of the singer being papped went viral. 

As photographers ambushed him with flashes and invasive questions, the father defended himself, and his boundaries.

“I’m a father of a son. I’m a father of a real kid,” he insisted.

“You take this video out of context and say ‘Justin lost his mind.’ You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to force questions in people’s faces and take videos out of context and use it against people. That’s mean.”

Comments now litter every one of his Instagram posts. Some begging him to get help, others demanding more from him. 

The rest of the internet continues to question his marriage. His mental health. His need for a conservatorship.

If we claim to care about mental health, especially for the artists we’ve watched grow up under the spotlight, then the scrutiny, speculation, and demands have to stop. 

Because at the centre of the chaos is a new dad. A husband. A human being asking, in no uncertain terms, to be left alone.

 

Originally published as Sad reality of Justin Bieber’s first Father’s Day.