San Francisco 49ers fans weren't the only people disappointed at Super Bowl LVIII following a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs—Justin Bieber's failure to appear in Usher's halftime show left hopeful music lovers dissatisfied.
On February 11, the Chiefs bested the 49ers 25-22 at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium to nab back-to-back titles, the first team to do so since the New England Patriots in 2004.
One of the most highly anticipated entertainment showcases of the year, the Super Bowl halftime show was headlined by Usher. Many were hoping for an appearance by Bieber, considering his long history with the "Yeah!" singer—who signed the Canadian star to his record label in 2009.
As the halftime show got underway, onlookers were impressed with a guest line-up that included Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Lil Jon, and H.E.R., but Bieber was nowhere to be seen—and it has now been revealed that the star was not "ready" to perform.
Bieber announced in 2022 that he had facial paralysis due to a disorder called Ramsay Hunt syndrome, causing him to cancel the last few shows of his world tour. Earlier this month, People reported that Bieber had returned to the stage for an intimate concert, performing to 2,500 people.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome "is characterized by facial weakness or paralysis of the facial nerve (facial palsy) and a rash affecting the ear or mouth," according to rarediseases.org.
One of Usher's halftime co-stars, Lil Jon, told TMZthat Bieber's name was in the mix to perform, but the star was not ready for the rehearsal level needed and the overall event's pressure.
A TMZ host asked: "Was there an iteration of the plan where Justin was gonna be on stage?"
Lil Jon replied: "We initially had, we wanted to put Justin in the show. So we had the idea of doing a version of the show with Justin in it but I think Justin wasn't really ready to, that's a lot of rehearsal that's a lot of responsibility, a lot of time and a lot of eyeballs."
Although he did not perform, he was there to support. Lil Jon continued: "And I don't know if he was ready to do all of that, you know what I mean. So, but he definitely was there supporting us. They're [Usher and Bieber] really good friends, and he was definitely supporting him regardless."
The news was met with support and sadness online with a video clip of the interview shared on X, formerly Twitter, by account PopCrave that divided social media users.
One music lover said: "Would have been iconic."
Another offered: "I feel like he literally just needed to come out and sing and leave."
Lil Jon confirms Justin Bieber was considering joining Usher for the Super Bowl Halftime Show:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 15, 2024
“He was thinking about it, but I think all the work that goes into it and then all of the eyeballs and everything else, I don’t know if he was ready to have that undertaking.” pic.twitter.com/vjdlMXpDCB
Several supported him for not submitting to the pressure while slowly returning to the industry since his diagnosis with "Maybe he's not ready.." and "Doesn't he have a disease, maybe that's why he wasn't feeling up to par with performing."
A diehard fan said: "Prince of pop will have his own halftime show one day."
A few thought that his musical prowess would have fallen short regardless: "Biebs bailing on the Bowl? Just spitballin' here, but maybe he's savvy to dodge the pressure cooker. Thoughts, peeps?"
A second added: "I mean, is Biebs ever ready for the big league? Just askin' for a friend who thinks puppies are less of a commitment. #LetTheBigDogsBark" with a third jabbing: "Because he can't. he would've tanked."
Newsweek has contacted Bieber's agent via email for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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