Speculation is running rampant after singer Justin Bieber reportedly unfollowed his former music mentor Usher on Instagram.
The timing is curious, The Sun reports, because Usher and Bieber have boasted a close friendship and business relationship for almost two decades. Therefore, a lot of metaphorical ears were raised when he chose to cut off his former close friend on social media.
Justin Bieber reportedly unfollows his mentor, Usher
Bieber is reportedly purging his 295 million-strong Instagram account of folks he no longer has affiliation with. In addition to Usher, The Sun stated that Bieber also unfollowed and possibly blocked his former manager, Scooter Braun, whom he famously fired in 2022. Bieber did the same to another former manager, Allison Kaye.
Justin Bieber cut ties with multiple people he worked with
The newspaper continued enumerating folks Bieber cut ties with on Instagram, including: Poo Bear, a producer and songwriter; Kenny Hamilton, a former bodyguard; and Ryan Good, a former “swag coach” who has been orbiting Bieber’s world since 2009 and was even the best man at his wedding.
But it was the unfollowing of global superstar Usher that has gained national attention.
Justin Bieber’s actions spark speculation
When the story was posted on Reddit, fans began to speculate, with one person saying, “I think the celebs who don’t follow anyone have the right idea because then there’s no speculation.” Another thinks Bieber’s actions were for specific reasons. “He’s unfollowing a lot of people that I have questions about,” adding: “You go Justin, you heal!”
Bieber wants to protect young rising singers entering the game
The latter respondent might be on to something. Bieber told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe during a 2020 interview that he wants to shield up-and-coming singers from the underbelly of the music industry.
“I’m going to be here for her,” he said resolutely about a particular singer. “I don’t want her to go through anything I went through. I don’t wish that upon anybody.”
There is the Justin Bieber-Usher-Diddy connection
Of course, there’s a lot of conjecture among fans who opine that Bieber may be distancing himself from his mentor Usher due to the ongoing Diddy debacle. Sean “Diddy” Combs’ titanic musical empire was reduced to charred ruins in 2024 after he was indicted and arrested on a trio of federal charges related to sex trafficking and prostitution.
It was Usher who helped Bieber break into the music industry, and Usher introduced his protege to Diddy. Bieber has never spoken publicly on the specificities of what he saw and experienced coming up in the music game. However, fans can easily deduce from that 2020 interview that Bieber was traumatized and suffered lasting emotional scars as a result of those episodes as a young, impressionable entertainer.
