On Sept. 27, Hailey Bieber spoke to Alex Cooper on her podcast, “Call Her Daddy.” Now known as Justin Bieber’s wife, the socialite who was previously known as Hailey Baldwin is the niece of actor Alec Baldwin and the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin. Given that her family is so deeply entrenched in the celebrity world, Hailey Bieber was exposed to fame at a young age. However, her background could not have prepared her for the pain she would go on to endure throughout her engagement and marriage to Justin Bieber.
The release of the recent “Call Her Daddy” episode surprised everyone. Hailey and Justin’s marriage has been scrutinized from all sides for the last four years, garnering numerous comments from both angry and encouraging fans alike. When asked by Cooper about her relationship, Hailey Bieber responded, “Every time I talk about it, there’s something wrong with it.” Unfortunately, Hailey Bieber endures harassment simply because she married the man she loves. Can you imagine her pain? For many, falling in love and getting married is supposed to be one of life’s biggest accomplishments, but fans are taking that away from her.
All the commotion began with the very public on-and-off 8-year relationship between singer and actress Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber’s husband. The “Call Her Daddy” audience was especially intrigued when Cooper asked Hailey Bieber if she had been involved with Justin Bieber during his relationship with Gomez. After all, from an outside perspective, it is hard to understand how someone could be in a relationship for so many years only to break up and get engaged to another person in a matter of months.
As expected, she denies all the accusations. Still, many fans are upset with the celebrity and assume she is the one at fault for Justin Bieber and Gomez’s breakup. Hailey Bieber had never been very open or direct when addressing the claims of her husband’s infidelity — but then posts appeared on social media.
Shortly after the podcast episode aired, pictures surfaced on the internet showing Justin and Hailey Bieber together while he was still in a relationship with Gomez. Whether the now-married couple was romantically or sexually involved at the time, no one truly knows; the scandal is more of a he-said-she-said situation. In response to criticism of her quick marriage at the young age of 21, Hailey Bieber said, “That was what we felt was a decision between the two of us and it felt correct for the two of us at the time.” Whether Hailey Bieber was the “other woman” is not clear, and it probably never will be.
Because celebrity relationships are so public, the two were likely to receive at least some backlash. Especially in an era where social media has such a strong presence, it was unlikely that they would escape public scrutiny.
Justin Bieber and Gomez were sloppy when it came to their multiple breakups, which usually involved them exposing each other on the internet for the whole world to see. Gomez once wrote to Justin Bieber publicly, “Funny how the ones that cheated multiple times, are pointing the finger at the ones that were forgiving and supportive, no wonder fans are mad. Sad.” Once things are put on the internet, they are out there forever, and it’s often impossible to make them disappear.
But the feelings of both Gomez and Hailey Bieber should not be disregarded. Such scandals would be hard for anyone, but the celebrities’ fame intensified the drama. It must have been difficult for Gomez to undergo heartbreak so publicly, which Hailey Bieber acknowledged. During the podcast, she said, “People don’t know what kind of friend I am, they don’t know what kind of daughter I am, they don’t know what kind of sister I am, but I know.” Hailey Bieber admitted she is a people pleaser and that it bothers her when others don’t like her. She never once bad-mouthed Gomez on “Call Her Daddy” but instead said she has much respect for their shared past, which speaks to her character.
Almost an hour into the podcast, Hailey Bieber began to speak about her mental health, which put things into a new perspective and showed her marriage from a different angle. Oftentimes, when people look at the life of a famous person, they forget that they are also human and feel the same emotions as everyone else. Why is bullying frowned upon when it comes to the average person, but not with a celebrity? Living in the spotlight has serious effects on a person’s mental health and well-being. Bieber mentioned in her interview with Cooper that extensive therapy has helped her get through much of her publicity-related stress.
When it comes to Hailey Bieber’s marriage and the situation with Gomez, it doesn’t matter who was right or wrong. Frankly, the truth is that it’s no one’s business but theirs, the people involved. It is never okay to bring someone down — let alone for four consecutive years — because of who they chose to marry and when. Fans must move on and let celebrities live.
“This is so crazy. I’ve literally never talked about this ever,” Hailey Bieber mentioned on “Call Her Daddy.” The socialite explained that she had avoided the scandal for so long because it’s hard to talk to an internet that’s against her. Though not addressing the hate was probably a more mature route to take, her podcast appearance allowed fans to understand that people shouldn’t be so quick to judge someone.
At the end of the day, we are all human. Everyone should be able to do what makes them happy and not be shamed for it, including Hailey Bieber. Treating everyone with kindness and respect is the key to making the world a better place.
