Unlike what people believe, Justin Bieber's father was not an absentee father. Jeremy Bieber nourished his son's talent.
The relationship between a son and a father can be a complicated one. Not all fathers wanted to be one after all. Many of them also leave their partner to raise their child all alone, which can cause resentment. However, the kind of relationship the child will have with the parent who is not there full-time is anybody's guess. For some kids, those parents become the ones with whom they have a fun break from their daily routine, for others they are the ones who abandoned them. Each family is unique in the way it processes its challenges.
For pop star Justin Bieber too being raised by a single mom and meeting his father a few times a week may have been confusing. The Baby singer was born to his mom, Pattie Mallette, when she was 17 and his father Jeremy Bieber was 18. The pair never got married and separated shortly after the Sorry singer's birth in 1994. Jeremy also missed the birth of his son because he was in jail at the time, according to GQ. However, unlike how he has been portrayed as an absentee father, he actually had a close bond with his son from a young age.
Jeremy was "not in a place where he could raise a kid," said Justin. "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.' There’s a misconception that he’s this deadbeat dad, but he has been in my life since. I was with him on weekends and Wednesdays," he told Billboard magazine.
The singer fondly remembers his humble roots, having been discovered by Scooter Braun, his manager, at the age of 12. He grew up in Stratford, Ontario, and his father was encouraging his love for music. "I was always that fearless kid who would jump onstage or do whatever. My dad would be like, 'Rap that 2Pac verse,' and I’d do Thugz Mansion -- I was probably 8," said Justin.
However, it was his mother, a born-again Christian, who introduced him to music and religion, both important to him. Between 2013 and 2015, he had a rough patch with his mother but they reconciled. During that time, he didn't lose touch with his father.
The Yummy singer had gone through a dark phase which included a night in jail and many other public fiascos. He thinks that fame almost destroyed him and his father's advice helped him while he worked his way back to the good books of those he loved.
The loving son keeps notes of the important things his father tells him on his phone. "My dad told me this the other day," he read out once. "He said, 'Pride is your worst enemy. It’ll pull greatness out of you.' I just thought that’s so great, because he’s a prideful man -- he has always known what’s best -- and it has taken him this long to see that," he said.
He also told GQ that after his relationship with his mother hit a rough patch in 2014 he was "a lot closer to my dad than I am to my mom." Not all that is emotional though. Pattie lives in Hawaii and the physical distance was also getting in the middle of their relationship.
There was one incident where the singer was photographed nude and his privacy was invaded by paparazzi and his father tried to make light of the situation, which was criticized. However, the 26-year-old singer, who is married to Hailey Baldwin, defended his father.
"I do feel the photo was an invasion of my privacy. I felt super violated. My dad made light of it, but I don’t think that’s sick and twisted. It was funny. Dads are going to be dads," he added.
One of the most obvious ways Justin shows his love for his father is when he gives him a shoutout on his social media. "I️ love continuing to get to know my father I️ love working through hard things to get to the good things.. relationships are worth fighting for especially with family!! Love you forever and always daddy!" he wrote as the caption with a photo of his father and him.
References:
https://www.gq.com/story/justin-bieber-gq-interview
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/cover-story/6753004/justin-bieber-fame-faith-selena-gomez
