Justin Bieber is battling a rare neurological disorder.
The pop superstar took to Instagram to reveal that he has had to postpone several tour dates because he has been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which attacks the nerve in his ear, causing facial paralysis.
He shared a video showing the serious impact of the virus. He is unable to blink his right eye, move his nostril, or smile with one side of his face as a result of the paralysis.
“There’s full paralysis on this side of my face,” he said. “So for those that are frustrated by my cancelations of the next shows, I’m just physically obviously not capable of doing them. This is pretty serious as you can see. I wish this wasn’t the case but obviously my body’s telling me I gotta slow down.”
Bieber plans to take time off from his “Justice World Tour” so he can “get back to 100 percent.” “I gotta go get my rest on so I can get my face back to where it’s supposed to be,” he said.
He is doing facial exercises, but it’s unclear how long he will need for recovery. “I’m going to get better,” he promised. “It will go back to normal. It’s just time and we don’t know how much time that’s gonna be, but it’s gonna be OK.”
He thanked his fans for their support and asked them to keep him in their prayers. “I have hope, I trust God, I trust that it’s all for a reason. Not sure what that is right now, but in the meantime, I’m gonna rest and I love you guys.”
Bieber received support from fans and friends in the comments including Lil Yachty, DJ Khaled, and Kehlani, who wrote, “love you dude , please take all the time you need!!”
The “Justice World Tour” kicked off in February and is slated to run through March of 2023.