Not long after Justin Bieber returned to the spotlight following a lengthy spell away from major performances, an old clip from his appearance on Ellen has prompted viewers to reassess how the pop star was handled by the polarizing talk-show host.
In the early 2010s, Bieber became a defining teen idol, propelled by the success of his My World release in 2010 and its 2.0 follow-up later that year.
After putting out project after project through 2021, he stepped back from releasing music at a rapid pace, before making his comeback last year with Swag and Swag II.
During that busy era, he also made the usual promo rounds on talk shows, where conversations often drifted from music into his private life and the people around him.
But a clip from roughly a decade ago, taken from The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has resurfaced and reminded many viewers how awkward — and, to some, unsettling — those interviews could become.
Back in 2015, when Bieber was about 21, he was invited onto the popular US programme about a month after paparazzi captured and distributed nude photos of him while he was staying at a private villa in Bora Bora.
The incident was widely viewed as a serious invasion of privacy. Bieber reportedly pursued legal action over the publication, but the topic still followed him into mainstream conversations.
Rather than being treated as a boundary that had been crossed, the images were used as interview fodder — including during his chat with Ellen.
With the segment now circulating again, viewers say his discomfort is obvious. One person commented: “My heart breaks for younger him.”
Appearing on the show to talk about his then-new Purpose album, Bieber found himself facing a censored version of the paparazzi image displayed on a large screen behind them, as Ellen questioned how he “did not see that there was paparazzi” photographing him.
He replied that he wasn’t paying attention to whether paparazzi were nearby, because he was simply trying to enjoy time away in a place he believed was private.
Ellen then pivoted to a remark about his physique, telling him: “I’m no expert, but I heard that it was good.”
She also pressed him about Jayde Pierce, a British model who was 20 at the time and was seen in some of the photos, asking whether she was his “girlfriend”.
After Bieber said Pierce was only a “friend”, Ellen pushed back: “You brought a friend to Bora Bora? And you were just naked with your friend? Why can’t you say that you’re dating somebody?”
At that point, Bieber covered his face and responded: “Why are you putting me on the spot like this? Stop, you’re making me blush, dude.”