2024 was far from a quiet year for Justin and Hailey Bieber: welcoming their first child, renewing their vows, and facing a barrage of divorce rumours.
Now, it seems 2025 isn't going to be any quieter - with Justin hitting headlines this week after seemingly unfollowing his wife on Instagram. Awks...
Despite having shared a string of cute snaps of him and Hailey enjoying a romantic Aspen getaway earlier this week, the internet erupted overnight after fans noticed Justin had actually unfollowed the Rhode founder on social media. The move played into rumours of an impending Hailey and Justin divorce...
Fans of the couple – who renewed their vows last May before welcoming their son, Jack Blues, three months later– shared screenshots online that seemed to show the ‘Sorry’ singer was no longer following his wife. With reactions ranging from confused to concerned, one wrote, ‘That’s got to be an accident, right? No way that’s how they announce a divorce.’ Another fan shared, ‘They’ve been through so much, I wanted them to make it!'
Others insisted that a simple unfollow doesn't automatically equal a relationship on the rocks - writing, 'God knows I've done stupid stuff when fighting with my partner.'
Hey, haven't we all turned to our phones in the fiery throes of an argument?
However, everything is not as it seems. The Canadian-born singer quickly took to his Instagram stories to insist that, actually, it was all a total misunderstanding. In fact, someone else had unfollowed Hailey from his account.
‘Someone went on my account and unfollowed my wife,’ he wrote, adding, ‘Sh*t is getting suss out here.’ Although Justin claimed someone was on his account, no other suspicious activity seems to have taken place.
Naturally, fans were sceptical. As one user put it, ‘Are we really playing the "I got hacked" game? Like, you’re telling me someone hacked his account and all they did was unfollow his wife?’
Another added, 'Why do these "hackers": never leak DMs??? Like ever.'
Others questioned whether the brief drama could have been nothing more than a good old PR stunt. It’s something Justin himself is no stranger too – having previously alleged that someone stole his laptop, which was later revealed to be nothing more than a PR stunt to promote his music video.
Of course, Hailey quickly backed up her man by showing fans that everything was peachy keen in the Baldwin-Bieber household. She shared a roundup of snaps from their Aspen trip (where they holidayed with good pals Kylie and Kendall Jenner), including one of Justin snoozing.
It does seem that Justin has been on an unfollowing spree in recent weeks, having removed a slew of former celebrity friends and team members – including his best man Ryan Good, his longtime mentor Usher, his former manager Scooter Braun (who rose to fame in recent years over his fallout with Taylor Swift), and his father-in-law, Stephen Baldwin. While the unfollowing of in-laws might seem a bad omen of things to come, it’s worth pointing out that Hailey herself has reportedly never followed her dad on Instagram.
The drama does come as terribly awkward timing for the couple. Justin and Hailey have battled a constant stream of divorce rumours over the past year, despite seeming more loved up than ever.
But according to sources, the couple take the chatter on the chin. A source told People in December, ‘They laugh about the constant divorce rumours. It’s annoying, but just noise.’
Meanwhile, an insider revealed to Us Weekly earlier this month that becoming parents has been lifechanging for Justin and Hailey’s relationship – saying, ‘There has been a total shift in their marriage since renewing their vows and welcoming baby Jack. He’s truly brought them so much happiness and a renewed bond.’
We'll never know exactly who logged onto Justin's account and made it their mission to unfollow his wife, but it looks like it doesn't matter. For now, the Baldwin-Bieber alliance is still going strong.
Charlotte Roberts is a news and entertainment writer at Grazia UK. She spends her days covering everything celebrity, culture, and entertainment.