Believe what you will, but we all know Justin Bieber is two words that sell magazines, generate headlines, and a 47 million following on twitter.
Believe There is Controversy When It Comes to Justin Bieber
As the mother to many, I’ve raised boys who were once the same age as Justin.
Like most boys between the ages of 17 and 20, even I had to admit, they were “jerks”.
Believe the Woman Behind The Bieb
Who is Justin Bieber’s Mom?
I had the amazing opportunity to speak with Justin Bieber’s mom, Pattie Mallette, in 2014.
Pattie Mallett is the singer Justin Bieber. She also managed her son’s early career. Her autobiography, Nowhere but Up, was published in 2012 by Christian book publisher Revell and was number 17 on the New York Times Best Seller list during its first week of release.
She gave me an inside look at the world of Justin Bieber and what it’s like to be the megacelebrity’s mom.
Woman-to-Woman, I found her amazing.
Mother-to-Mother, I admire her.
Step back and consider that Mallette had no interest in being a stage mom.
She saw Justin as any mother sees her child–handsome and talented.
In a fateful moment, Mallette shared a video on YouTube with her family.
Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive of So So Def, clicked on one of Bieber’s 2007 videos by accident.
We all know the rest of the story.
Three years later (2012), Forbes would dub her son, the THIRD most POWERFUL celebrity in the WORLD.
Think about that title.
At 17 kids think they are invincible.
They have a mind of their own.
They’re difficult to get anything across to and Mallette was dealing with her son, an ordinary boy with extraordinary success and that title.
Fast forward two years.
Justin Bieber’s mistakes are public and overshadow the generous deeds his celebrity has given him.
His compassion is overshadowed by a 19-year-old boy coming-of-age, whose celebrity has also afforded him more elaborate mistakes.
Bite down on that.
Think about what you did as a teenager; think about what your children did.
Now imagine them broadcast globally!
Sometimes life lands where we least expect it.
Believe: The Movie
His movie, BELIEVE, is the continued story of Justin Bieber. It captures his life on tour and the struggles of superstardom coupled with being a young man.
I asked Mallette about the struggles of having her son’s shortcomings broadcast in headlines and suffocating the good that Justin does.
She shared “the world is a critic and Justin is hard to himself. He is always for the underdog and dedicates a lot of his time to charity.”
I had read about his work with the Make a Wish Foundation.
I’m sure anyone on planet earth knows his work.
If not, I encourage you to look up “Mrs. Bieber“…if you need more information, her name was Avalanna Routh.
It’s a story that will warm your heart and then break it.
A six-year-old girl put on a pretend wedding announcing she was Mrs. Bieber.
It is the story of the boy the media portrays as “selfish” and “out of control”; a boy is larger than life, but who took the time to meet, visit and love Avalanna.
It is a story of a friendship that defied age, financial freedoms, and health.
It is Justin Bieber and Avalanna Routh’s story of love.
In addition to his Make A Wish charity work, Justin also works with Charity Water to supply clean drinking water to those who need it.
He’s involved in Pencil the Promise to help build schools.
The night before my interview with Mallette, Justin had just returned from the Philippines helping the victims of a typhoon.
As a mother of a mega-celebrity like Justin Bieber is it still possible to give advice?
The headlines would lead us to believe not, but Pattie Mallette inspired even me when I asked her the question.
“My parenting style has changed as he has grown older. I hope to still be the loudest voice in his ear. I remind him who he is, where he came from and that not everyone is going to agree with what you do. You just have to keep on going.”
While others may judge, Pattie Mallette is a woman who is thankful for what is hers.
“Faith is important to me and I raised Justin with faith, but at a certain point, it goes from a parent’s faith to finding your own faith. Justin is on his journey to find his own faith in his own way.”
Pattie Mallette hasn’t led a life of glamor.
She did more than dabble in drugs, she found herself in a mental hospital, pregnant as a young woman, and then raising a child as a single mother.
She carried on.
These days she counts her blessings and has recently launched a foundation called Round 2.
The idea behind Round 2 is that when life kicks you down and you feel defeated, that’s Round 1.
You deserve a second chance and that’s your Round 2 in life.
You don’t have to do it alone. Round 2 offers support, resources and helps guide you back to the path you were meant to travel.
Today, the headlines seem less shocking.
Perhaps The Biebs is growing up.
One thing is for certain, he’s talented!
His song, Love Yourself, has now made US chart history, spending 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10.
The former record was held by Justin Bieber for his song, “Sorry“, for 21 weeks.
Believe Trivia:
BELIEVE was actually supposed to be a 3D Concert Film of the tour and songs.
It gained momentum and became what you will see in theaters Christmas Day!