Justin Bieber has shared an update on current his battle with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which – as he revealed to fans over the weekend – has temporarily paralysed the entire right side of his face.
Last Saturday (June 11), Bieber posted a video explaining that he was recently diagnosed with the rare condition, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, “occurs when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near one of your ears”. In his video, Bieber can be seen struggling to blink, smile or move his right nostril.
Bieber assured fans that his facial paralysis will subside over time, however, and according to a new update shared through his Instagram Story, he appears to be healing up. “Each day has gotten better,” he said, noting that his Christian faith has helped him cope with the illness.
He continued: “Through all of the discomfort I have found comfort in the one who designed me and knows me. I’m reminded he knows all of me. He know[s] the darkest parts of me that I want no one to know about and he constantly welcomes me into his loving arms. This perspective has given me peace during this horrific storm that I’m facing. I know this storm will pass but in the meantime JESUS IS WITH ME.”
As a result of his condition, Bieber was forced to postpone the opening stretch of his North American ‘Justice’ tour. He’d broken that news prior to revealing his facial paralysis, citing an unspecified “sickness” at the time.
Though he stopped short of confirming which (or how many) shows would be affected by the postponements, Bieber went on to say that he would be “using this time to just rest and relax, and get back to 100 per cent so that [he] can do what [he] was born to do”. New dates for the postponed North American shows are yet to be confirmed.
The ‘Justice’ world tour has already been rescheduled three times thus far, stemming from its original 2020 iteration as the ‘Changes’ tour. Further delays happened earlier this year, after Bieber tested positive for COVID-19.
He’s slated to perform six shows in Europe from next month into August, followed by stints in South America, South Africa, India, South East Asia, Japan and Australia throughout the remainder of 2022. Next February, he’ll bring the ‘Justice’ tour to the UK for a run of 11 shows.