Justin Bieber Reveals Facial Paralysis After Canceling 'Justice' World Tour Shows
KEY POINTS
- Justin Bieber revealed why he was forced to cancel several shows in his "Justice" world tour in a new Instagram video
- He said he is experiencing paralysis in his face after being diagnosed with a rare disorder called Ramsay Hunt syndrome
- The "Sorry" singer shared that he isn't sure how long his recovery will take but assured fans that he will "get back to 100%"
Justin Bieber has revealed that he was forced to postpone several shows in his ongoing tour due to partial facial paralysis.
The "Sorry" singer announced in a video uploaded on Instagram Friday that he is experiencing paralysis in his face after being diagnosed with a rare disorder called Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
"I wanted to update you guys on what’s been going on. Obviously, as you can probably see from my face, I have this syndrome called Ramsay Hunt syndrome, and it is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis," Bieber, 28, said.
In the clip, Bieber's right eye noticeably doesn't blink, and as he speaks, there is no movement on the right side of his face.
"As you can see, this eye is not blinking. I can't smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move, so there's full paralysis on this side of my face," the pop star said, gesturing to the right side of his face.
The "Peaches" singer then addressed his fans who were "frustrated" about the postponement of his upcoming performances.
"I'm just physically, obviously not capable of doing them," he explained. "This is pretty serious as you can see. I wish this wasn't the case, but obviously, my body is telling me I've got to slow down. I hope you guys understand. I'll be using this time to rest and relax and get back to 100% so that I can do what I was born to do."
"But in the meantime," he added as he tried to smile. "This isn't it. I got to get my rest on so that I can get my face back to where it's supposed to be."
Bieber said he isn't sure how long his recovery will take, but he shared that he's optimistic that things will return to normal soon. He thanked his fans for their patience as he recovers.
"I'm going to get better, and I'm doing all these facial exercises to get my face back to normal. And it will go back to normal, it's just time," he added. "We don't know how much time it's gonna be, but it's gonna be OK. I have hope and I trust God and I trust that this is all for a reason."
Ramsay Hunt syndrome occurs "when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near one of your ears," according to the Mayo Clinic. It can cause painful shingles rash, facial paralysis and hearing loss in the affected ear.
Prompt treatment of the syndrome reduces "the risk of complications, which can include permanent facial muscle weakness and deafness," according to the clinic.
An unnamed friend of Bieber's told Page Six that his loved ones are also anticipating a successful recovery. "Bieber will be OK. It's because of an infection, paralysis in the right side. He will recover," the source said.
Earlier this week, Bieber postponed three upcoming performances due to "non-COVID-related illness."
He posted on his Instagram Story Wednesday that his then-unknown health issue was "getting worse" and that his doctors advised him to postpone a few shows in his ongoing "Justice" world tour.
"To all my people, I love you so much, and I'm gonna rest and get better," he said.
Two shows at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena and a stop at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., were rescheduled.
Fans who were expecting to see Bieber in Toronto were heartbroken over the announcement, which came a day before the concert.
"Justin Bieber just postponed his Toronto shows tonight and tomorrow… this is the THIRD time he's canceled/postponed a show I was supposed to go to," one fan tweeted, along with a crying emoji.
Bieber's tour is scheduled to run through March 2023.
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