Justin Bieber’s troubling behaviour in early 2014 was “worse than people realized,” according to his manager Scooter Braun.
In an interview with Wall Street Journal Magazine, Braun revealed that the Canadian pop star — who was caught on video urinating in a mop bucket and arrested in Miami Beach on suspicion of DUI — was “in such a dark place.”
He recalled: “I failed him day after day. We were living in hell. Justin’s stuff got to a point where it was a problem.”
Describing Bieber as “family,” Braun said their relationship took a hit at the time. “But,” he said, “I started to learn things that made me a better man. When the time came and Justin needed the resources to get back on track, I wanted to make sure I was a rock and someone he could turn to.”
Braun said he started attending meetings of Al-Anon (a support system for friends and family of people struggling with substance abuse).
“Some of the biggest people in the industry, people invested in Justin’s career, told me, ‘It’s over. Focus on something else. That kid is done,’” Braun recalled. “I made a promise to him when he was 13 that I would never give up on him.
“I plan on keeping that promise.”