Back in his heyday as a young child star, Justin Bieber was often spotted out and about with a much older Sean “Diddy” Combs and his large and in charge entourage. During a 2011 joint appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Combs even told the host that he and Bieber had “become friends in a strange way” (via TMZ). And during a heated back-and-forth exchange about a Lamborghini that Combs had purportedly gifted to Bieber, Combs got visibly defensive. “He had the Lamborghini for a day or two, and he had access to the house. And he knows better than to be talking about the things that he does with big brother Puff on national television,” the music mogul reprimanded the then-16-year-old Bieber. Oof. Yet another weird thing about Bieber’s past relationship with Diddy. Maybe hindsight really is 20/20.

However, on May 15, 2025, Bieber released a statement making the truth about his controversial connection to Diddy finally clear and firmly denying the rampant rumors and speculation that he was among his alleged victims. “Although Justin is not among Sean Combs’ victims, there are individuals who were genuinely harmed by him,” a representative for Bieber told TMZ. “Shifting focus away from this reality detracts from the justice these victims rightfully deserve.”

Unfortunately, this didn’t end the speculation surrounding Bieber’s increasingly erratic and alarming behavior since the start of Diddy’s high-profile trial in May 2025. “This Diddy trial has Justin Bieber spiraling and triggered his PTSD!” one X user posted on June 16. Even five days after the trial had wrapped and Diddy was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution while being ultimately acquitted of the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges, another X user wrote, “Justin Bieber has really gone downhill since the diddy trial started.”

Perhaps one of the more curious things Justin Bieber has done since the start of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial is changing his Instagram handle to @lilbieber. On June 26, 2025, the Grammy Award winner surprised his followers when he posted a carousel featuring two photos of himself playing with his and Hailey Bieber’s son, Jack Blues. As one can imagine, eagle-eyed followers immediately took note of Justin’s new username. “I’ve been following Justin on instagram since 2013 and never once he changed his @ I’m shocked,” one loyal follower commented.

Alas, unveiling a new Instagram persona is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Justin’s alarming behavior. Ten days prior to changing his Instagram username and following a public kerfuffle with a group of paparazzi, the “Sorry” singer copped to having “anger issues” and even confessed that he was “broken” in a lengthy and candid Instagram Story. “People keep telling me to heal don’t you think if I could have fixed myself I would have already?” he wrote on June 16 (via Page Six). “I tried to do the work my whole life to be like the people who told me [I] needed to be fixed like them. And it just keeps making me more tired and more angry,” he continued. He wrapped the post by crediting his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for being “the only person who keeps me wanting to make my life about others.” While Justin didn’t delve into what ultimately caused all of his anger issues, that confession, along with another tragic admission, had the Diddy trial on everyone’s lips.