US Weekly

INSIDE THEIR MARRIAGE TWISTED

Shocking new details emerge about the newlyweds’ bizarre life and disturbing bond

- BY ALISON GAYLIN

They seem to have it all. Justin Bieber and his bride, Hailey, are young, famous, wealthy, beautiful — and so deeply in love they’re planning a second wedding five months after their first. But as much as they may seen like couple goals, Justin and Hailey’s friends worry their marriage isn’t a healthy one. A recent interview with the pair paints a picture of a codependen­t relationsh­ip that’s fraught with tension and strife. “Marriage is very hard,” confides Hailey, who’s just 22. “It’s really effing hard.”

That’s putting it mildly. While every marriage goes through rough patches, Hailey and Justin, 24, are coping with a surprising number of heavy issues, from Justin’s past struggles with drugs and sex to his ongoing battle with depression. The two are open about seeking solace at Hillsong Church — where they reconnecte­d years after a breakup she’s characteri­zed as a “very dramatic excommunic­ation” — but Hailey has become the superstar singer’s main source of stability.

“They don’t have problems — it’s Justin who does,” an insider explains. “He has anxiety and a lot of big issues that make it difficult for him to function on a daily basis. And he’s so reliant on Hailey.”

OPPOSITES ATTRACT

Justin admits as much in the Vogue interview. “I’m the emotionall­y unstable one,” he says. “I struggle

with finding peace. I just feel like I care so much and I want things to be so good and I want people to like me.” In the past, Justin sought relief in drugs and alcohol — and made bad choices that got him into trouble with fans, friends and the law (see sidebar).

The model, meanwhile, has never even tried drugs for fear she might fall prey to the same demons as her dad, Stephen Baldwin, who’s been in recovery from cocaine addiction for 30 years. “Hailey’s very logical and structured, which I need,” Justin says. “With the lifestyle I live, everything is so uncertain. I need one thing that’s certain. And that is my baby boo.”

But experts say that could be bad news. “Unless the underlying issues that led to Justin’s addiction are addressed, their relationsh­ip has the potential for volatility,” relationsh­ip expert Rachel DeAlto tells

“Justin is on a high right now from something new and exciting. However, that high will eventually fade and underneath will be the unresolved issues that led to his initial addictions.” Robert Weiss, author of

Sex Addiction 101, is cautiously optimistic: “We do sometimes find that love can bring many young men into a more stable, relationsh­ip-based life,” he says. “Time will tell if Justin will continue to struggle or if a healthy, loving relationsh­ip is enough to right the ship.”

Friends of the couple are at least comforted by Hailey’s strength. “She knew exactly what she was getting into,” says the source. “She’s a tough cookie.”

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 ??  ?? “I’m fighting to do this the right way, to build a healthy relationsh­ip,” Hailey says. “But we’re two young people who are learning as we go. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say it’s all a magical fantasy.”
“I’m fighting to do this the right way, to build a healthy relationsh­ip,” Hailey says. “But we’re two young people who are learning as we go. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say it’s all a magical fantasy.”

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