Brand new Biebs. After years of public meltdowns, controversies, and eyebrow-raising behavior, Justin Bieber has made a point of turning over a new leaf.
“I’m growing, figuring some stuff out, as you do when you grow up,” the “Baby” performer 21, said in a new interview with USA Today. “You figure out what type of man you want to be, that’s where I’m at.”
Bieber finds himself specifically in the midst of a strategic revamping of his public image. The former child star sat through a scathing Comedy Central roast, which finally aired on Monday, presumably in an attempt to regain some points and frame himself as a modest and lighthearted individual.
“I’m still young,” Bieber told USA Today. “I’m still trying to figure out who I am, and I’m just trying to have fun.”
The pop star, who infamously had multiple run-ins with the law, made headlines with his bratty behavior and spent months in an on-again, off-again dramatic relationship with Selena Gomez, said his “fun” activities of choice and those with whom he spends his time have changed.
“I left a lot of people behind who weren’t on the same journey I was on, and I’ve got a lot of new people in my life who are pouring into me, and not taking away from me,” explained Bieber, who is rarely seen without an entourage of some sort.
“At this point in my life I’m so focused on myself that I’m not looking for a girlfriend,” added the teen heartthrob. “I’m just trying to make sure I’m 100 percent so I can add to the person I want to be with. I want a girl I can trust, who I can lean on. This business is hard, and I want someone I can confide in.”
The “Never Say Never” artist has reconnected with one confidant, his mother Pattie Mallette. As Bieber spun out of control, his relationship with his mom, who raised the star alone, took a serious hit.
“We lost our relationship for awhile,” Bieber said of Mallette. “She couldn’t really tell me anything; she would try, but I wasn’t listening to anybody and that sort of sucked. But our relationship is getting better now; we’re getting it back.”
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