Not too long ago, Justin Bieber seemed to be living the ultimate pop star dream—chart-topping hits, a massive fanbase, and a net worth that most people couldn’t even imagine.
But behind the scenes, things weren’t as picture-perfect as they appeared.
New reports have peeled back the curtain, revealing just how close the 31-year-old singer came to a financial meltdown.
Back in late 2022, Bieber made headlines for selling the rights to his entire music catalog for a staggering $200 million.
Now, sources are saying that decision wasn’t just business—it may have been survival.
Reportedly Broke Before the Big Sale
TMZ is reporting that Justin was on the brink of “financial collapse” when he decided to part ways with his music catalog.
Despite earning somewhere between half a billion and a billion dollars over his career, insiders claim he blew through most of it.
Apparently, Bieber’s longtime manager, Scooter Braun, warned him not to sell so early in his career—or at least to hold off until January 2023 to benefit from a major tax break.
But Justin was reportedly impatient and pushed through with the deal in December 2022.
Though he remains the youngest artist to ever sell off his catalog, the urgency behind the move suggests that Bieber’s financial house wasn’t as solid as fans believed.
Hailey’s Business Moves—and a Billion-Dollar Price Tag
Meanwhile, Bieber’s wife Hailey is reportedly exploring a potential billion-dollar sale of her skincare line, Rhode. Launched in June 2022, the brand quickly gained traction with its sleek products like peptide lip treatments and blush.
Insiders told WWD that Hailey’s team has brought in big players like J.P. Morgan and Moelis to help explore selling options.
Although Rhode has brought in an estimated $200 million in sales, buyers seem hesitant.
Some believe it’s too young, too celebrity-dependent, and too tied to a single sales channel—online.
In today’s market, that’s a risky mix. One source bluntly put it: “Nobody paid $1 billion for Rare Beauty or Makeup by Mario—why would they for Rhode?”
Drama with Scooter Braun: The Fallout
Adding to Justin’s woes is his very public split from Scooter Braun, the music exec known for managing artists like Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato.
Their professional relationship officially ended in June 2024, the same day Scooter announced he was stepping away from management altogether.
But the break wasn’t clean.
An upcoming documentary is set to expose bombshell details, including an external audit commissioned by Scooter’s company Hybe America.
That audit reportedly found that Bieber still owes Scooter over $8.8 million, tied to his canceled “Justice” tour.
The Tour, the Money, and the Debt
Remember when Bieber had to cancel the rest of his tour in 2022, citing his battle with Ramsay Hunt syndrome? At the time, fans sympathized.
But now, it’s being reported that tour promoter AEG gave Justin a $40 million advance—$24 million of which he had to return due to the cancellations.
Hybe America reportedly fronted the money for Justin, with an agreement he’d repay them over time.
According to Scooter’s camp, Bieber only made one payment and then stopped.
Bieber’s side has a different story. His former business manager Lou Taylor claims that an earlier audit showed Justin had actually overpaid Scooter by $26 million.
A later internal review by Hybe found the opposite—that Bieber had underpaid by $1 million, an amount Scooter supposedly waived.
Now, a third-party audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers claims Justin still owes nearly $9 million.
Bieber’s team isn’t denying the audit’s existence—but they’ve done their own audit too and haven’t shared the results.
Bizarre Videos, God Talk, and Joint-Holding Phone Cases
As if things couldn’t get more surreal, Bieber recently posted a carousel of bizarre Instagram videos—later deleted—where he rambled about God, loyalty, fishing in Alaska, and living with purpose.
In the same breath, he showed off a new phone case design from his fashion brand SKYLRK—except this one holds a joint.
That’s right, a cannabis-compatible phone accessory.
The catch? Hailey owns the patent for a similar lip balm case for Rhode, and Justin admitted that if he wants to move forward with his version, he’ll have to pay her a fee—if she approves it.
She cheekily replied in the comments: “I’ll think about it!”
A Family Moment Overshadowed by Controversy
Just days earlier, Bieber gave Hailey a sweet shoutout for Mother’s Day, posting snaps of them with their son, Jack Blues, and even hiring a mariachi band for a romantic dinner.
But the moment was soured when Justin shared a note on Instagram saying, “Love u moms but mothers day sucks a**.” Fans were quick to criticize the message, with many assuming it was a dig at Hailey—especially given the rocky rumors surrounding their marriage.
What’s Next for the Biebers?
Between financial struggles, career changes, marriage speculation, and eccentric social media behavior, Justin Bieber’s world seems to be spinning in all directions.
As fans await the full story to air in TMZ Investigates: What Happened To Justin Bieber?, one thing’s clear—behind the fame and fortune, Bieber’s journey has been anything but smooth.
And now, it seems, both he and Hailey are navigating a complicated mix of business, personal growth, and public scrutiny in very different ways.