Kaylah Walton
In the wake of Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ arrest on serious allegations of sex trafficking and racketeering, comments from Justin Bieber regarding his desire to shield Billie Eilish from the less favorable aspects of the music industry have come into focus. These statements, made during a 2020 interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, are now being discussed in light of recent events concerning the risks faced by emerging artists.
In the interview, Bieber shared his experience of rising to fame at the tender age of 14, after being discovered by Usher, a partner of Combs.
Bieber expressed how challenging it was to grow up publicly, marking some of those times as particularly “dark.” He conveyed his concern for Eilish, who, like him, found fame at a young age with her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?.
With emotion, he shared his desire to set a positive example for Eilish and offered her his support.
“Being that young in this industry can be hard; everyone says they care about you, but they’ll turn on you just as quickly,” noted Bieber.
“I want to ensure she doesn’t endure what I did. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
“Consider how impressionable I was; everyone was praising me constantly.”
“I hope people understand the psychological impact this can have on someone.”
Revisiting the video with Combs
Although Bieber did not reference Combs during this interview, current developments have prompted social media users to take a closer look at past exchanges between the two.
Specifically, a video featuring a 15-year-old Bieber and Combs is now receiving heightened scrutiny. In this clip, Combs remarks on not being Bieber’s legal guardian yet spending 48 hours together, claiming they would “go full crazy.”
This statement, paired with concerns about Combs‘ legal issues, has sparked discussions online regarding the nature of their past interactions.
“We’re having 48 hours together, and while I can’t say exactly what we’ll be doing, it’s a dream scenario for a 15-year-old,” Combs described in the video.
