Never say never — Justin Bieber may just be reforming. The controversial pop star, 20, made a surprise appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday, Feb. 5, to reflect on his wrongdoings and to explain a talked-about apology video that he recently recorded.
Last week, Bieber took to Facebook to post a video of himself sitting in a dark room and discussing his past behavior. The “Beauty and A Beat” singer admitted that he had been putting on a front that made him seem “arrogant or conceited” and said he’s just been pretending to be that way as he tries to navigate becoming an adult.
The video followed Bieber’s appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for the host’s birthday, so when he returned to the show on Thursday, she asked Bieber about his choice to record the vulnerable clip.
“It was the first time I was on television for a long time and I just was worried about what people were thinking about me,” Bieber explained to Ellen DeGeneres. “I did a lot of things over the past few years that I’m not proud of… I was just nervous to be in front of people again and talk in front of them… I thought I just looked really extra nervous and I kinda just wanted to explain myself.”
Bieber’s explanation was largely well-received and picked up close to 5 million views as of Thursday morning.
“I am a human, right?” Bieber continued. “People often forget that, even with some of their comments and stuff they think it doesn’t get to me. But it gets to me. You know, things that people say bother me and I gotta be strong enough to just keep it pushing.”
The star, who joked to DeGeneres that he will start coming on her show every week, famously found more than his fair share of trouble in recent years. He has had multiple brushes with the law, facing charges from vandalism to DUI. A hard-partying lifestyle also added to the former squeaky-clean pop prince’s fall from grace.
“I just wanted to make the video to just let people know that I’m human, I love people, I love love, I’m passionate about things, and I’m passionate about being better and growing,” he added. “I think that this is going to be an awesome chapter in my life and I’m so glad that I have you guys supporting me.”
