Hailey Bieber Said That People Have Made Her “Feel Bad About” Her Relationship With Justin Bieber “Since Day One” As She Admitted That Six Years Later, The Constant Scrutiny Doesn’t “Hurt Any Less”

Justin and Hailey sparked controversy when they got married just six months after he split from Selena Gomez in 2018, and in a new interview, Hailey has admitted that she thought she’d “get used to” the relentless criticism her relationship has faced.

By
Stephanie Soteriou
by Stephanie Soteriou

BuzzFeed Staff

When Hailey Bieber first started dating her now-husband, Justin Bieber, back in 2018, it was controversial, to say the least.

Justin Bieber hugging Hailey from behind
Ricky Vigil M / GC Images

For context, before his relationship with Hailey, Justin had been in an on-again, off-again relationship with Selena Gomez since 2011.

Selena Gomez in a satin gown smiles as Justin Bieber, in a tuxedo, kisses her cheek at an event
Steve Granitz / WireImage

Ironically, in the early days of their relationship, Hailey herself was a “Jelena” shipper, and regularly tweeted about Justin and Selena as a couple when she was a teenager. 


In 2011, she wrote: "I don't care what anyone says but Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez together is the definition of a teenage dream!”


The following year, she said Selena was “beyond flawless” and Jelena were the “perfect relationship” as she joked that she will be “forever alone.”


Hailey was around 15 years old at the time, and her X account has since been deleted. It’s worth noting that neither she, Selena, nor Justin have ever acknowledged the tweets.

Justin and Selena split for the final time in March 2018, and just three months later, he was publicly linked to Hailey.

Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin share a kiss, with Justin wearing a headband and a jacket, and Hailey in hoop earrings and a denim jacket
Mark R. Milan / GC Images

The two ran into each other at a Miami press conference for their church in June 2018, and Hailey recalled Justin saying at the end of their chance encounter: “We’re not going to be friends.”


The following month, Justin proposed to Hailey, and by September 2018, they were married — just six months after his and Selena’s breakup, and after almost eight years of their tumultuous relationship.

Because of this incredibly quick turnaround in Justin’s relationships, Selena and Hailey have regularly found themselves being pitted against one another and are regularly at the center of vicious attacks from the other’s fanbase.

Hailey Bieber steps out in a casual, oversized beige outfit, holding a coffee cup and wearing sunglasses, while walking on a sidewalk
Bg002 / GC Images

While Hailey attempted to show solidarity with her husband’s ex by liking one of Selena’s Instagram posts in 2019, as well as Elle magazine’s post that had Selena as its cover star in August 2021, she has consistently been targeted by Selena’s followers. 


In April 2022, Hailey seemingly referenced the fact that, almost four years into her relationship with Justin, she is still receiving nasty messages over their romance. 


While she didn’t get into specifics, she said in a TikTok video: “Leave me alone at this point. I'm minding my business. I don't do anything, I don't say anything. Leave me alone, please. Enough time has gone by where it's valid to leave me alone. I beg of you, truly. That's my only request. Leave me alone. Be miserable somewhere else. Please.”

That same year, she said during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast that the public reaction to her and Justin’s wedding was “really drastic and really crazy.”

Justin Bieber in a suit and sneakers points at the camera, standing beside Hailey Bieber in a strapless gown at a red carpet event
Mike Coppola / Getty Images

She also insisted that her relationship with Justin did not overlap with Selena's in any way, adding: “That was a situation where I know for a fact that it was the right thing for them to close that door; they were not in a relationship at that time. But, of course, there's a very long history there, and it's not my relationship.”


“It has nothing to do with me, so I respect that a lot, but I know that it closed a chapter, and I think it was the best thing that could've happened for him to move on and be engaged and get married and move on with his life in that way,” Hailey went on.


Hailey also reiterated that there’s “no drama” between her and Selena, with each woman repeatedly calling on their respective fanbases to leave the other alone over the years. 

And in a new interview with W magazine, Hailey has admitted that six years later, the scrutiny that her and Justin’s relationship regularly faces still hurts as she acknowledged that public perception has tarnished their romance since the very beginning.

Hailey and Justin Bieber sit closely together at an event. Hailey is wearing a white top and necklace, while Justin sports a leather jacket, pink sunglasses, and a polka-dot hat
Gotham / GC Images

The star is currently pregnant with her and Justin's first child, and while a therapist has advised her to try and “compartmentalize” the relentless negativity, she struggles not to take it to heart. 

“People have made me feel so bad about my relationship since day one,” Hailey told the publication. “‘Oh, they’re falling apart. They hate each other. They’re getting divorced.’ It’s like people don’t want to believe that we’re happy.”

Hailey Bieber is walking on the street wearing a fitted beige dress and an oversized beige blazer. She has sunglasses on and her hair is pulled back. A man follows behind her
Gotham / GC Images

“I used to try to act like it hurts less and less. I’ve tried to think that you get used to it at a certain point, that this is what’s going to be said, and this is how people are going to be,” she added. “But I realize that it doesn’t actually ever hurt any less.”

Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber walk together; Justin in a hooded sweatshirt with a smiley face and Hailey in an oversized sweater and sneakers
Rachpoot / GC Images

Hailey’s comments come after her and Selena’s pseudo-feud blew up again last year, with the two stars dominating the headlines in January 2023 after they were accused of throwing shade at one another.


Hailey was six months pregnant when she and Justin announced her pregnancy back in May, and their baby is thought to be due at the end of August. 


Meanwhile, Selena is loved up with her new boyfriend, Benny Blanco.

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