Justin Bieber may be happily married and thriving both personally and professionally but the popstar once feared he wouldn't make it to where he is now.

Bieber sky-rocketed to success, seemingly overnight, after being discovered on YouTube at age 13.

But the clean-cut, heartthrob image Bieber cultivated as a pre-teen was threatened by a series of controversies between 2013 and 2014 — including erratic and impulsive behavior, like abandoning his pet monkey in Germany and getting sick on stage. 

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During that time, it was up to Bieber's team to make sure the star stayed alive while battling addiction and mental illness.

Justin Bieber's security guards were required to check his pulse while he slept.

Bieber discussed the height of his drug addiction, in a 2021 interview with GQ Magazine, in which he admitted that his security guards would sneak into his room while he slept to make sure he still had a pulse. 

The now-28-year-old “Prince of Pop” commented on his struggles with addiction after he found fame, saying that “there was a sense of still yearning for more. I had all this success and it was still like: ‘I’m still sad, and I’m still in pain. And I still have these unresolved issues.’”

Bieber stated that “the drugs were a numbing agent to just continue to get through.”

He discussed the fragile intersection of fame and addiction, noting that he had "all the success in the world,” while wondering “what is this worth if I’m still feeling empty inside?”

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Bieber hit a low when he was arrested for a DUI in 2014.

In addition to alcohol, he had Xanax and marijuana in his system. After pleading guilty to reduced charges, Bieber was fined $500 and sentenced to a 12-hour anger management course and a class on drunk driving. He also made a $50,000 donation to a children’s charity as part of the plea bargain.

As part of an interview with NME in 2015, Bieber spoke to the unique challenges of fame.

​​“I just want people to know I’m human. I’m struggling just to get through the days. People see the glam and the amazing stuff, but they don’t know the other side. This life can rip you apart.”y

In his 2020 YouTube docuseries, Justin Bieber: Seasons, the now-sober pop star revealed that he tried marijuana for the first time at age 13.

He became dependent on the drug, and his drug use escalated as he tried to navigate the pressures of fame. 

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Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun mentioned in one episode that “No one’s ever grown up in the history of humanity like Justin Bieber—no one’s ever been that famous.”

Bieber believes that the drugs were a coping mechanism for his fame.

“It was just an escape for me. I was young. My experience was in front of cameras and I had a different level of exposure.”

He credits his wife Hailey and his Christian faith for the life he lives now, a life free from the cycles of shame and addiction.

“I made a mistake. I won’t dwell in it. I don’t sit in shame. But it actually makes me want to do better.”

RELATED: Hailey Bieber Reveals Conversation With Selena Gomez After Marrying Justin Bieber

Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers celebrity gossip, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.