He’s the popstar who captured teen hearts back in the Noughties (has it really been that long?). She’s the Hollywood heiress who comes from one of LA’s most powerful acting dynasties. Together, they’re one of the few young celebrity couples who seem to have it all figured out. Married since 2018, Justin and Hailey Bieber have just announced that they are expecting their first child together.
But it hasn’t all been plain sailing for this star-studded duo. With wild controversies surrounding exes and models, a rocky on-again-off-again relationship, and a punch in the face from Orlando Bloom, the Biebers have had their fair share of drama. Let’s take a look back at how it all began and how they got to where they are today.
November 2009: Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin first meet
The duo first meet backstage at the Today show as the singer explodes onto the global stage. They’re introduced by Hailey’s dad, veteran actor Stephen Baldwin, and awkwardly shake hands like the shy teenagers they are.
Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin meeting for the first time in 2009 😍 pic.twitter.com/NwwEcndDSY
— 234Star.com (@234star_) July 8, 2018
December 2009: Justin Bieber begins dating Selena Gomez
The teenage sweethearts spark dating rumours when Bieber sings his hit song “One Less Lonely Girl” directly to Gomez during a New Year’s Eve performance. The rumours turn out to be true, and they become one of the hottest couples in entertainment.
February 2011: Hailey Baldwin attends Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never premiere
Let’s not forget how much of a huge megastar Bieber is in 2011. It’s a Beatles-esque fans-screaming-in-the-street kind of thing. Baldwin attends several of Bieber’s events, but she makes sure to play it cool. She tells Vogue that she isn’t a “superfan” and even though Bieber is “cute”, she reminds people that they have a “weird age gap”. In 2011, Bieber is 17 and Baldwin is 15.
September 2011: Hailey Baldwin posts on social media about Bieber and Gomez
You can’t say that Hailey isn’t a girl’s girl. Although she crosses paths with Bieber on numerous occasions in the early 2010s, she is clear about her support for both Bieber and Gomez. In September 2011, she posts a now-deleted tweet showing her support for the couple.
October 2014: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez split
Despite being together for five years, Bieber and Gomez have a fiery and fractious relationship which involves a lot of wild drama. 2014 alone involves suspected pictures of Kylie Jenner on Bieber’s phone, Gomez being linked to Orlando Bloom, and Bloom punching Bieber in the face. They finally call it quits in October, with Bieber’s 2015 song “Love Yourself” rumoured to be about Gomez.
December 2014: Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin deny dating rumours, but spend New Year together
It’s no secret that Bieber and Baldwin are close while the popstar is dating Selena Gomez. They go to church together and are photographed side-by-side on several occasions. In an interview with E! News in December 2014, Baldwin insists that the pair are just “good friends” having known each other since they were young. However, Bieber posts a video to Instagram on New Year’s Eve which shows the duo spending the festive occasion together.
December 2015: Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin share a New Year kiss on holiday
On this occasion, there’s no denying it. The pair spend the Christmas holiday together in Mexico, along with Bieber’s father and siblings. They are seen kissing on New Year’s Eve and spend a PDA-filled night at Leonardo DiCaprio’s party. At this point they don’t make any effort to hide the relationship, with Bieber even posting a photo of him and Baldwin locking lips to his Instagram.
2016: Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin split up
Just as things start to get going, the pair call it quits. The split is drenched in speculation, with Bieber being linked to model Sofia Richie and Baldwin admitting to Vogue that “there was a period where if I walked into a room, he would walk out." It’s a very public and dramatic break-up, and the Biebers have since revealed that from 2016 until 2018 they weren’t even friends.
June 2018: Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin get back together
In a twist that sends fans into a frenzy, Justin Bieber reunites with his ex Selena Gomez while apart from Baldwin. Gomez and Bieber are together from October 2017 until March 2018, but it doesn’t last, and Bieber switches back to Baldwin in the summer.
July 2018: Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin get engaged
Considering the pair’s on-again-off-again relationship — and Bieber’s inclination towards models — the pair’s engagement sends a shockwave through the entertainment world. Bieber pops the question at a romantic dinner in the Bahamas, and confirms the news in a gushing Instagram post.
September 2018: Justin and Hailey Bieber get married
Following a short and whirlwind engagement, the pair tie the knot only two months later. They are papped at a courthouse in NYC, with Hailey officially changing her surname on social media two months later.
September 2019: The Biebers have a lavish wedding in South Carolina
A year after making it official, the pair have a more formal ceremony in front of their closest family and friends. Hailey posts a photo to her Instagram confirming the event and the date of the wedding, which racks up almost four million likes.
February 2022: Hailey Bieber says she isn’t ready for kids
At the start of 2022, after three happy years of marriage, Hailey Bieber speaks to WSJ magazine about the prospect of starting a family. Although she says they definitely don’t want kids this year because it would be too “hectic”, she tells the media outlet that they would “try” in the “next couple of years”.
May 2023: Hailey Bieber tells the media she wants kids “so bad”
The pair both suffer health complications throughout 2022. Hailey has a mini-stroke in March 2022 and that June, Justin is diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes paralysis on the right side of his face. Following these set-backs, Hailey tells The Sunday Times in May 2023 that she really wants to start a family. It’s likely that the health complications are holding them back, but Bieber also reveals her concerns over raising children in the media spotlight, saying: “It's enough that people say things about my husband or my friends. I can't imagine having to confront people saying things about a child."
October 2023: Hailey Bieber addresses pregnancy rumours
With such a high-profile relationship comes drama and speculation. Bieber speaks to GQ Hype and shares how every time she is bloated, people ask if she is pregnant. She also makes it clear that when she does become pregnant, the internet will be the last to know.
May 9 2024: Justin and Hailey Bieber announce they are expecting
After years of rumours, the pair share the happy news that they have a baby on the way. Sharing a video from their vow renewal to Instagram, Hailey is seen in an elegant white lace dress which shows off her baby bump. The posts gets almost ten million likes, with celebrities including Kylie Jenner, Paris Hilton and Bella Hadid commenting to show their support. Even some of Bieber’s rumoured flings, such as Sofia Richie Grainge and Kendall Jenner, send their congratulations — proving that the past is well and truly in the past.
