Justin Bieber’s recent posts serve as a reminder that even the most adored stars can struggle with the pressures of fame — and the emotional toll it takes
Canadian pop icon Justin Bieber has been making headlines over the past week for behaviour that fans are calling “concerning.” A series of dazed public appearances and cryptic Instagram posts have sparked fresh speculation about the Baby singer’s mental state. “I think I hate myself sometimes when I feel myself start to become inauthentic,” Bieber wrote in one post. “Then I remember we’re all being made to think we’re not enough — but I still hate when I change myself to please people.”
He’s not alone in calling out the emotional cost of being a celebrity. Back in 2007, Britney Spears shaved her head in a now-infamous moment of public rebellion. In her memoir, she later explained, “I’d been eyeballed so much growing up… Shaving my head and acting out were my ways of pushing back.”
Closer home, Indian stars too have pushed back against media intrusion and online toxicity. After a knife attack on Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan posted a message to paparazzi asking them to “have a heart” and leave her family alone — though the post was later deleted.
The constant scrutiny celebrities face often leads to emotional strain that builds quietly and then erupts in full public view.
Celebs are human too!
Entrepreneur Shilpa Reddy believes that the public often forgets that celebrities are just as human as anyone else. “Celebrities have meltdowns because they’re human. Everyone goes through emotional highs and lows, but the rules are harsher for them. They’re expected to always look, talk, and behave a certain way — and over time, that becomes suffocating,” she says. “One wrong word can get you cancelled on social media. That kind of pressure adds up.”
She also points out the ripple effect of unrealistic expectations. “Young people often internalise these impossible standards. That’s why it’s refreshing when celebrities are honest — it sends a healthier message. We need to move away from celeb worship and remember they too have real emotions, real lives.”
Living in the spotlight is not easy
Dr Manjula Anagani, renowned gynaecologist and Padma Shri awardee, who is friends with many celebs, believes that these moments of breakdown are usually a long time coming. “Having known several public figures up close, I can say with certainty that living in the spotlight is far from easy. The expectations placed on them are staggering. What the public sees as a sudden breakdown is often the result of years of emotional burden,” she says. “We need to create space where public figures can show vulnerability without judgment. It’s not weakness — it’s honesty.”
