Justin Bieber has been making headlines lately, from sharing cryptic posts on Instagram about imposter syndrome back in March, to a recent encounter with paparazzi on Wednesday.
Currently in Palm Springs, California for Coachella 2025, the pop star was filmed during a coffee run with friends. As he tried to shield his face from the cameras, a photographer greeted him with a “good morning,” which prompted a sharp response from Bieber.
“No. Not good morning,” he said, walking towards the photographers.
“Get out of here,” he continued. “You just want money… You don’t care about people.”
The photographers didn’t engage, but continued recording as Bieber entered the store with his friends.
While some media outlets have called it a “heated exchange” and criticized Bieber’s behavior as “unprovoked,” many fans are defending him, even if they believe he’s “crashing out.”
“He’s completely within his rights to react like that to the paparazzi—they invade his privacy all the time,” one user wrote on X. Another added, “These people have been following him since he was a teenager, and they’ll probably continue to do so until he’s older.” A third user simply said, “He’s not crashing out. He’s being real. People just use him.”
So what does “crashing out” actually mean?
Imagine running into your ex with their new partner, or losing your job unexpectedly. You’re already on the edge, and then something else pushes you over. It’s that feeling of being on the verge of losing control.
“Crashing out” refers to that moment when you feel so overwhelmed that you act impulsively or lash out—like starting an argument for no reason, or breaking your own boundaries in a moment of emotional overload.
This phrase gained popularity in 2024, especially among Gen Z, but it has roots in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), a dialect often spoken by Black Americans. It’s believed to have originated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was popularized by rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again in his 2017 song “Stepped On,” where he rapped, “Crash out if I’m nervous.”
Celebrities like Bieber often face public scrutiny during their most vulnerable moments. It’s a feeling most people can relate to—experiencing a breakdown, but without the camera lenses pointed at you.
Bieber is not the first celebrity to ask for privacy. Gigi Hadid, for example, has repeatedly requested that paparazzi and fans stop sharing images of her and Zayn Malik’s daughter. Similarly, Chappell Roan has advocated for boundaries, while Michael Strahan faced public judgment when his daughter’s medical condition was speculated about online.
We live in an age where social media has blurred the lines between public and private lives. As psychologist Renée Carr explains, we’ve become conditioned to expect not just our own personal moments to be shared, but also those of others.
Whatever Bieber is going through, it’s important to remember that celebrities, like everyone else, need space to cope privately.
As psychotherapist and author Amy Morin points out, “Public figures need privacy to heal and strategize just like anyone else. Processing emotions away from the public eye allows them to manage their personal struggles without added pressure from external opinions.”
