Red Flags In Hailey And Justin Bieber's Relationship

Justin and Hailey Bieber first met in 2009 on the "Today" show, but the two didn't spark romantic rumors until years later when they were spotted standing next to each other at Hillsong Church in 2014. At the time, they denied that they were dating. By New Year's Eve 2015, the pair publicly acknowledged something was going on between them through a very public smooch and would be known as an official couple until a 2016 breakup. They later proved that it's possible to rekindle a relationship with a past love when they reunited (publicly) in Miami back in June 2018. Shortly after, they married on September 13, 2018 at City Hall in New York City, which they followed with a big wedding in South Carolina on September 30, 2019. 

Marriage came with its own growing pains for the couple. During an interview with Apple Music's Ebro Darden in May 2022, Justin admitted that he and Hailey experienced an adjustment period after they wed. "It's a journey. I remember when I first got married, I hit a little bit of an emotional breakdown because I thought marriage was going to fix all my problems and it didn't," Justin explained, per People. "It just kind of was a reflection of like, man, you're a bit of a hypocrite man." While the two have gone on to work it out — and welcomed son, Jack Blues Bieber, in August 2024 — they still present like they have some issues. Patrick Wanis, Ph.D., Behavior & Relationship Expert, creator of SRTT Therapy (Subconscious Rapid Transformation Technique), and author of "Get Over Your Ex Now!" spoke with Women.com about the potential red flags between Justin and Hailey. 

While it's normal for couples to not be all about PDA all the time, J‌ustin and Hailey Bieber raise some eyebrows because of how physically remote they seem from each other whenever they're in public. Patrick Wanis spoke to Women.com about the infamous video clip of Justin closing the car door behind him, unaware that Hailey was getting out behind him. Wanis said this could "indicate anger, avoidance of intimacy, or deeper relationship issues." It also suggests a lack of core connectivity between the two.

"He doesn't wait to protect and escort her," Wanis went on. "He just runs off and doesn't even care about what's happening to her. As the video clip proceeds, again, he's so far ahead of her as if she doesn't exist, as if she's not even there." In another clip, Justin escaped paparazzi by jumping on his skateboard in Times Square in New York City. Hailey tried to run after him and ended up slipping on the road. "It's as if he doesn't care," Wanis said of the second instance, noticing a lack of attentiveness on Justin's part. This all indicates a deeper problem between the couple. Furthering the argument, Wanis noticed that Justin and Hailey often walk separately, with Hailey ahead of him. This means, in Wanis' opinion, that Justin is either holding back or Hailey is disconnected from him.

Not only is there physical distance between Justin and Hailey Bieber, but there's also evidence of emotional distance. "I get a sense that sometimes there's a huge gap, almost a canyon, between Justin and Hailey," Patrick Wanis told Women.com, offering a plethora of reasons. "When someone walks ahead of their partner, the physical distance reflects emotional distance. This might be because, at that moment, that person could be angry or upset at their partner. Second, even though that person is in a relationship, they could still have an avoidant attachment style, which means they try to avoid intimacy. The third possibility is that there's some other deeper underlying issue between Justin and Hailey." 

This is a wide range of possibilities. But Wanis also acknowledged that Justin seems averse to public situations, and perhaps the stress of the paparazzi becomes too intense, and his isolating behavior has nothing to do with Hailey. It could be related to health concerns, too. In June 2022, Justin announced that he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which left him with partial facial paralysis. While there has been improvement, the condition could have made him extra uncomfortable in public.

There seems to be a lack of enthusiasm towards their relationship, particularly when it comes to Justin Bieber recalling things with his wife, Hailey Bieber. In a video clip for their Facebook series, "The Biebers on Watch" from May 2020, Hailey and Justin recalled their first kiss. Rather, Hailey recalled it while Justin didn't get involved in the conversation. She asked him if he remembered, and he bumps the question back to her. Instead of engaging in the memory of their first kiss, Justin just fixes his hair for the camera. 

For Patrick Wanis, this was a huge red flag. Wanis inferred that Justin was disengaged from Hailey, and uninterested in their relationship memories. "He rarely expresses outward enthusiasm or pride in Hailey," Wanis said. "It's not that it is expected that he has to be constantly gushing over her, but he doesn't seem to express any outward enthusiasm or passion towards her." For Wanis, this lack of nostalgia and sentimentality was a problem; sure, there's no need to get carried away, but a little bit of tender reminiscing about the past can be a nice thing for a couple.

Let's be honest. While couples don't need to coordinate their outfits to show a happy front, the difference between Justin and Hailey's sartorial choices is noteworthy, at least for Patrick Wanis. It doesn't just stop at the outfits; their polar opposite way of presenting themselves shows differences in deeper things. "Justin showing up to events dressed casually in pajamas while Hailey is dressed up suggests a lack of synchronization or alignment in their relationship and outlook," Wanis explained.

Granted, Hailey's sense of fashion is extraordinary, so she's tough to keep up with. Bieber has undergone an incredible style evolution through the years, and even while pregnant with her and Justin's baby, she made overalls trendy again. However, her husband's complete lack of effort is concerning. "And with regards to Justin repeatedly showing up to events dressed in pajamas while Hailey is dressed to the nines, this to me indicates, again, that they're not in sync," Wanis said. "They're not working together. Of course, they can be individuals – they can have their own style – but the stark clashing styles indicate that they're misaligned." There are just too many glaring differences in the ways in which they adorn themselves and present to the outside world.

As Justin and Hailey Bieber embark on their parenting journey, they're going to be faced with tougher decisions. According to Patrick Wanis, this could potentially lead to clashes over how to best raise their son. "Future red flags may arise if they disagree on parenting approaches and styles or if one parent becomes disconnected from their relationship due to focusing too much on the child," he told Women.com. 

Time will tell, according to our expert. "There might be one more red flag and that's only going to be apparent over the next six to 12 months depending on how they evolve as parents," Wanis went on, adding that disagreements over parenting styles is one of the greatest factors that leads to relationship problems and divorce. "When the two parents disagree about how to raise their child, or if one becomes disconnected and lazy and just allows the other person to take over, then problems, arguments, and even resentment can arise," Wanis went on. The secret is to make sure that while taking care of the child, the parents are still able to give attention to the other and to nourish their relationship.