Justin Bieber's years-long breakdown is something hardcore fans and critics will never forget; but up until now, no one really knew just how bad things were for the singer. According to BuzzFeed, Bieber's manager and friend Scooter Braun recently shone a light on the dark truth during a harrowing interview with Complex.
"When [Justin] turned 18, we had a rough patch," Braun said, though he wasn't willing to really dive into what happened.
"I think that's his story to tell, and at the right time, I think he'll complete the story" he added. "I think, funny enough, his perspective and some of us who were there are going to be very different, because a lot of it he doesn't remember."
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Braun continued to say that it was "a very tough time" for him personally, as his patience and strength were tested. Ultimately, Braun said he felt as if he'd failed his young protégé; a statement he's given in the past.
"If it was up to me, for a year and a half, none of that would have happened," he said, alluding to Bieber's struggles and run-ins with the law. "But for a year and a half I tried everything, and I failed, because he was still in that dark place. And, it wasn't until one day something happened when he called me and said, 'This happened. Enough is enough, I need to make a change.'"
Though Braun happily gave out as many resources as he could, he said he finally learned that in order to truly help another person, they have to "want to make a change." He added that while he never really worried about Bieber's career, there wasn't a day that went by where he didn't worry about his life.
"I thought I was going to lose him. I thought he was going to die," Braun said. "That was the scariest point because he was an adult. I couldn't force him to stay next to me. There were points where I didn't know if, in the morning, he was going to be there. I was petrified."
This just goes to show that you can never truly know what someone is experiencing and that while it's easy to judge others — as I have admittedly done with Bieber on a number of occasions — they could be hurting on an incomprehensible level. We'll never know what would have happened to Bieber if Braun hadn't been there to give him the support he so desperately needed; but what I do know is that I'll be more compassionate in the future.