Dear Justin Bieber, why are you bullying your wife?

Hailey Bieber has officially appeared on the cover of Vogue, and no one is more proud tone-deaf than her husband, Justin Bieber.

When the 31-year-old singer posted photos from Hailey's Vogue photo-shoot to his Instagram, at first, it seemed like he was celebrating his wife's achievement.

Until fans read the accompanying caption.

"Yo this reminds me when Hailey and I got into a huge fight," Justin wrote. "I told Hails that she would never be on the cover of Vogue.

"Yikes I know, so mean," he added. "For some reason, because I felt so disrespected. I thought I gotta get even.

"I think as we mature we realise that we're not helping anything by getting even we're honestly just prolonging what we really want which is intimacy and connection," he continued.

"So baby u already know but forgive me for saying u wouldn't get a Vogue cover cuz clearly i was sadly mistaken."

The post received a mixed reaction. While some respected the honesty, others criticised the father-of-one for once again undermining Hailey's big moment.

"A simple congrats would've been fine I fear," one fan wrote, while another suggested Justin invest in a journal.

Others pointed out the implication behind the singer's use of the words "sadly mistaken", suggesting he wasn't happy for Hailey's milestone. But others defended him, speculating that he meant to write "sorely mistaken" and simply got his words mixed up.

Justin has since changed the caption, which now features a string of emojis that reads, "🤷🫵🏻🫶🏼🥹."

Justin's original caption on his post about Hailey's Vogue shoot. Image: Instagram/@justinbieber

It's not the first time the singer has been accused of 'bullying' his wife. Two months ago, Bieber shared a video of Hailey to his Instagram with the song Irreplaceable by Beyoncé playing in the background.

At the time, fans pointed out the suggestion behind some of the lyrics like, "I could have another you in a minute, matter fact he'll be here in a minute, baby," implying that Justin had chosen the song intentionally as a message for Hailey that he could easily "replace" her.

This was just the cherry on top for maaaany video compilations of moments in which Justin has looked at Hailey weirdly, has seemingly run away from her, closed a car door on her, or screamed at her in public, with fans taking it as extra proof that the singer has it out for his own wife.

And at this point we have to ask: can you please stop being so mean to her?

Justin posted Hailey to the song 'Irreplaceable' by Beyoncé. Image: Instagram/@justinbieber

For her part, Hailey has copped her own hate for being a 'nepo baby' — as the daughter of Stephen Baldwin — and for allegations that she 'stalked' Justin before their relationship.

In her new interview for Vogue, the Rhode founder poked fun at the criticisms and rumours in a parody 'Inside my bag' video.

For the segment, the 28-year-old showed the camera what was inside her handbag, clearly joking around in the process.

First, she pulled out her "favourite perfume" which was called Eau d'Nepo, poking fun at the nepo baby comments.

Then she pulled out a journal which held, she said, "all of [her] ideas", before revealing that absolutely nothing was written on any of the pages.

Hailey went on to joke that she carries multiple mobile phones with her, claiming she uses them for "anonymously commenting, stalking, viewing girls' pages, making multiple accounts".

Lastly, the mother-of-one showed the audience a "potion" that, she quipped, had made Justin fall in love with her.

"Dad flew me to go meet with this witch who lived in the mountains, and she made this specifically for me," Hailey joked.

"She told me that it would make a young Canadian pop star fall in love with me. So, yeah, been taking this one for years. Absolutely love it. Thanks dad."

Fans loved the parody, commending Hailey for being able to laugh at herself. We love a diva!

"Her humour is top notch. Knowing her haters they will actually take whatever she said about those phones and witch potion seriously," one commented.

She's trying so hard to put the drama behind them, to embrace the nonsense with a bit of humour, and Bieber is just… not helping.

And as she jokes about being trolled by online bullies, fans worry her biggest critic might just be her husband.

The interview comes a month after Justin finally addressed ongoing speculation about his own wellbeing. But his statement seemed to raise more questions than it answered.

Bieber took to Instagram in April with a message addressing what he called "gossip" and "lies" circulating about him.

"The feeling of guilt can be relieved. How? Not by going to church or reading ur Bible. But just receive that God forgives," Bieber wrote. "They treat me like a** out here, but I remember that I am flawed and God forgave me."

Justin Bieber's full Instagram story post. Source: Justin Bieber's Instagram page.

The timing was notable, coming shortly after The Hollywood Reporter published an in-depth investigation into Bieber's current situation and his separation from longtime manager Scooter Braun and former inner circle.

Over the past year, Bieber's social media presence has shifted toward more introspective, sometimes concerning content. He's shared posts about feeling "unworthy" and like he's "drowning," while also being photographed having confrontations with paparazzi.

A previous Instagram post from March. Image source: Justin Bieber's Instagram.

An incident at this year's Coachella festival further fuelled public concern. Bieber was seen dancing while smoking what appeared to be a joint near his 15-year-old brother Jaxon.

In the video, Hailey Bieber can be seen intervening, guiding Jaxon away from the situation.

Watch: Justin Bieber carpool karaoke. Post continues below.

At first, sources close to Bieber were shutting down rumours. However, reports from TMZ stated that Ryan Good, Bieber's longtime friend and co-founder of clothing brand Drew House, hasn't spoken to the singer in over a year.

Sources close to Good claim he left Churchome (a celebrity megachurch branching from Christianity that is widely endorsed by A-listers) in Beverly Hills, where Pastor Judah Smith is on the leadership team, because he believed it was a cult.

Listen to the full explainer on on The Spill podcast. Post continues below.

The situation with Drew House adds another layer to this story. In early April, Bieber publicly announced he was no longer associated with the brand, stating: "Drew House doesn't represent me or my family or life. If your [sic] rocking with me the human Justin Bieber don't waste ur money on Drew House."

Former collaborators with Bieber have also expressed concern in recent interviews. Record producer Poo Bear told The Hollywood Reporter, "Whatever he's going through, I pray for him and hope he's OK."

Another former team member was quoted saying: "Seeing him disintegrate like this... it's watching the embodiment of someone not living their purpose."

Bieber's response on Instagram didn't directly address these specific concerns. Instead, he broadly referenced forgiveness and defended his marriage to Hailey.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hailey Rhode Bieber (@haileybieber)

"And honestly if I was you it would be hard not to be jealous if I saw me and Hailey going so brazzzzyy," he wrote, followed by a separate Instagram story simply stating: "Ur bible can't save you."

Before his Instagram post, Bieber's representatives maintained that he is "healthier than all of us—physically and mentally."

Bieber hasn't released an album since 2021's "Justice" and cancelled his world tour in 2022 which was pretty much doomed from the start.

Originally scheduled to begin in 2020, the tour was postponed for approximately two years due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

When performances finally commenced in February 2022, Bieber was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 2, a condition causing facial paralysis that required him to suspend performances for several weeks while recovering.

Justin Bieber performing at the Justice world tour 2022.

Music executive Chris Anokute, who has worked with artists like Katy Perry, told The Hollywood Reporter: "He's been a winner for 16 years. Everyone goes through stuff... Do you know what it's like to be a man at 30? To be a father? He's living his life. Let him evolve. Let him grow."

The transition from child star to adult artist has historically been challenging for many performers, and Justin Bieber has been in the spotlight since age 13. While his recent behaviour and statements have generated concern, we can't ignore the idea that public scrutiny can severely impact a person's wellbeing, especially if they're been in the spotlight for close to 20 years.

Feature image: Getty/Canva.

This article was originally published in April 2025 and has since been updated.