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Justin and Hailey Bieber Are ‘in a Much Better Place’ After Announcing Baby News
The photos and videos of Justin and Hailey Bieber renewing their vows in Kilauea, Hawaii, in early May revealed a sweet surprise: a glowing Hailey cradling a baby bump beneath her form fitting white lace Saint Laurent gown. Well-wishes for the happy couple immediately poured in from fans, family and celebrity pals like Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner, who said of the happy news, “Here come the tears again.”
The baby joy comes at a pivotal moment for the couple. An insider exclusively tells Life & Style that Justin, 30, and Hailey, 27, are “ecstatic” over the pregnancy, which has brought their nearly six-year union back from the brink of divorce after a string of hardships and rough patches. “All these issues seemed to hit them in succession,” an insider shares, adding, “Friends wondered how the relationship would survive.”
Now they’ve been given a fresh start. “Justin and Hailey are in a much better place,” confirms the source. “Their marriage is good.”
Troubled Past
The “Sorry” singer and model have been open about their marital strife since their secret wedding in 2018. “We’re two young people who are learning as we go,” Hailey said in 2019. “I’m not going to sit here and lie and say it’s all a magical fantasy. You don’t wake up every day saying, ‘I’m absolutely so in love and you are perfect.’ That’s not what being married is.”
Jealousy was a big issue — as was the couple’s immaturity. “Justin and Hailey didn’t communicate well in the early years,” says the source. They’d fight over the silliest things and Justin would mope and Hailey would go out with her friends and then they’d make up and repeat that cycle.”
The frustration was overwhelming for Justin. In 2022, he admitted that he had an emotional breakdown shortly after they tied the knot. “I thought marriage was going to fix all my problems and it didn’t,” he said. “It’s hard sometimes to look in the mirror and really have to realize, man, maybe you’re not the person that you necessarily thought that you were.” The source says Justin’s mental health struggles were a challenge for Hailey, explaining, “He’s a lot clingier, while she’s always been more emotionally mature and able to see things in a clearer way.”
Things got so bad, the pair seemed headed for a split. “They got married so young and weren’t emotionally equipped to deal with it,” says the source. “It was hard going. Divorce seemed to be their only way out.”
Turning Point
It didn’t help that the two disagreed about starting a family. In 2020, Justin — whose single mom had him when she was just 18 — told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres that he was gunning to have “a tribe” of kids. His wife, he admitted, was not ready. “She still has some things she wants to accomplish as a woman.” Indeed, the Rhode skincare founder was focused on building her career — and uncertain about their relationship. “Hailey didn’t want to bring a child into their world until things were more stable,” says the source. (There were also health concerns: Hailey suffered a ministroke in early 2022; three months later, Justin was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which left him with temporary partial facial paralysis.) Ironically, Hailey was dogged by speculation that she was expecting, griping in 2023, “Can’t [I] be bloated one time and not be pregnant?”
It was only after Justin took a step back that things moved in a positive direction. “He stopped pushing her and making her feel guilty, and that’s when things turned around,” says the source, adding that their faith also helped them push through their problems. “They sought the advice of their pastor and got some much-needed therapy.”
Baby Fever
Now they are in full-on baby prep mode. The source says the duo’s been reading parenting books, brainstorming baby names and decorating the nursery in their $28.5 million L.A. home. “They’re having so much fun,” says the source. Naturally, Justin has been doting on Hailey nonstop. “Everything revolves around Hailey,” the source reveals. “Justin’s finally getting the family he always wanted.”
Working Through Their Issues
Meanwhile, another source exclusively tells Life & Style that the couple “had their issues” before announcing their pregnancy. “But they’re really excited to welcome a baby into this world. They see this new chapter as a chance to put the past behind them,” the insider adds.
Justin and Hailey have been preparing by taking parenting classes and reading books. “They’re also talking very seriously about moving somewhere to raise their little one in peace, away from the craziness of L.A.,” the source shares.
The pair both love Hawaii, and Justin’s mom, Pattie Mallette, lives there now, so that’s at the top of their list, says the source, adding that a suburb of New York, where Hailey was raised, is an option, too. “The main thing is they want a serene environment,” the source explains. “Somewhere they can grow and thrive as a family.”
