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Justin Bieber has plenty of intriguing relationships in his life. There’s his professional connection with his manager, Scooter Braun, as well as his affiliations with other celebs like Usher, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish. And then there’s his personal life, which sometimes includes strained relationships with both his mother and his father. And, of course, there was his former romance with Selena Gomez. However, these days, fans are surely more interested in his marriage to Hailey Baldwin (who, FYI, now goes by Hailey Bieber, but for clarity’s sake, let’s stick with her maiden name).
Bieber and Baldwin were married in 2018 (before enjoying a wedding that came in 2019), and since then have charmed admirers with their commitment, closeness, and frequent PDA. However, as we all know, looks can be deceiving, especially when it comes to what’s shared on social media. Glimpses into the lives of celebrities can be highly curated and don’t always give an accurate idea of what’s really going on behind closed doors. That may leave you wondering how Bieber and Baldwin are really doing, especially while being cooped up together during quarantine.
Thankfully, Dr. Fran Walfish – Beverly Hills family and relationship psychotherapist, author of The Self-Aware Parent, regular expert child psychologist on The Doctors, and co-star on SEX BOX on WE tv – was willing to give Nicki Swift her exclusive, expert opinion. Let’s take a look at how the pair’s relationship is going during this potentially tough time.
Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin’s masked kiss says a lot about their marriage
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In July 2020, fellow celeb Chance the Rapper shared a video of Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin via his Instagram Story that showed the pair being responsible citizens and wearing masks while out in public. The video also showed that they weren’t letting their masks get in the way of a little PDA. While Bieber sings to his wife, the recording shows him briefly pause so that they can share a kiss through their masks. While it seems to be a sweet moment, it actually says a lot about the state of their marriage.
Relationship psychotherapist Dr. Fran Walfish explained to Nicki Swift that there’s «a powerful love between Justin Bieber and his young wife, Hailey Baldwin.» She noted that the «strength of their bond with each other is observed not only in their eyes when they share an extremely intimate gazing look and ‘masked’ kiss,» but beyond that, «Justin’s hands and the way he holds and touches Hailey’s back, upper arms, and hands, the gentleness of his grip resembles more of a caress than a holding.» According to Walfish, this is «indicative of a husband following his beloved wife’s lead in a feel-good moment.»
While it’s nice to know that Bieber is willing to indulge in Baldwin’s lovey-dovey mood in this particular moment, it turns out that there’s a much stronger (and somewhat revealing) vibe that exists between these two.
The couple may be feeling like it’s them ‘against the world’
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Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin undoubtedly face issues when it comes to making their marriage work. Not only is their relationship scrutinized because they’re celebrities, but they also tied the knot when they were relatively young (she was 21 and he was 24), which she admits was «definitely scary.» However, despite — or because of — the hardships, they appear to rely on each other in a very special way.
Dr. Fran Walfish took a look at photos of Bieber and Baldwin that were shared by Hollywood Life in July 2020 and explained to Nicki Swift that «the couple is holding hands in virtually every picture shot,» which «appears to be the face of ‘You and Me against the World!'»
Walfish also let us in on what an Instagram post of a picnic that the singer shared the same month revealed about the duo. She noted that even in the posed photo, «the young couple are attached by Hailey gently caressing his upper right forearm with the right side of her face, lips, and chin while holding her husband’s relaxed hand, with his five fingers on his same right hand slipped under her tank t-shirt to caress her left breast.» The relationship expert explains that «it is a completely gentle, easy gesture with no tension in either partner’s body language or facial cues.»
Frankly, «[e]ven in a pose, stress and strain would be communicated, if it were present,» which it clearly isn’t. And there may be a good reason for that.
These ‘soulmates’ are ‘doing the hard work’
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Being married isn’t always easy. Luckily for Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin, they «seem to be Soulmates who are doing the hard work that life-lasting relationships and marriages require,» Dr. Fran Walfish told Nicki Swift. While checking out the couple’s Facebook videos from their time together in quarantine, Walfish points out that it’s clear they are «building their bond of attachment from the foundation up, brick by brick, with the kind of solid mortar and cement needed to hold them together for the long run.»
Indeed, Baldwin herself explained to Vogue in February 2019, «… I’m fighting to do this the right way, to build a healthy relationship.» However, she also added, «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. It’s always going to be hard.»
«It’s a choice,» Baldwin continued. «You don’t feel it every single day. You don’t wake up every day saying, ‘I’m absolutely so in love and you are perfect.’ That’s not what being married is. But there’s something beautiful about it anyway — about wanting to fight for something, commit to building with someone.»
From the looks of it (and the sound of it), these two are doing just fine.