Justin Bieber is 'crashing out' according to fans. What does that mean?

USA Today

11-04-2025

Justin Bieber is 'crashing out' according to fans. What does that mean?
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Justin Bieber's dancers recreate 'Children' nearly 10 years later
Former children back up dancers recreate Justin Bieber routine they did for his song 'Children' during his Purpose World Tour.
Justin Bieber has been making headlines — from cryptic Instagram posts on imposter syndrome in March, to a confrontation with paparazzi on Wednesday.
The pop star, who is currently in Palm Springs, California, to attend Coachella 2025, was filmed on a coffee run with friends. He shielded his face from the cameras before being greeted with a 'good morning,' which prompted his response.
'No. Not good morning,' he said, approaching the photographers.
'Get out of here,' he continued. 'You just want money... You don't care about people.'
The photographers didn't respond but continued filming until Bieber entered the store with his friends.
While some headlines call the interaction a 'heated exchange' and Bieber's behavior 'unprovoked,' fans have come to his defense — even if the singer is, as they put it, 'crashing out.'
'He is well in his rights to speak like that towards the paparazzi, they invade his personal space and life way too much,' wrote one X user. 'His crash out is valid, these ppl have been following him since his teenage years and will prbably follow him til he gets old,' another user echoed. 'He ain't crashing out. He's being real, & all people do is use him,' a third user argued.
Fans can only speculate what is going on with Bieber's behavior, and it's not a celebrity's responsibility to disclose private details. But for those confused, here's what "crashing out" is actually all about.
What does 'crashing out' mean?
You ran into your ex on the street with his new girlfriend. He looks happier than ever. You lost your job on a random Wednesday. You were already on the brink of a breakdown, and then you got hit with the most devastating news.
It's enough to make you lose your mind — or rather, 'crash out.'
When you feel almost overwhelmed, but you're not quite there yet, you might use the expression, 'The crash out is imminent.'
So what does 'crashing out' look like? You're so mad or upset that you start a fight unprovoked, break no-contact with your ex, or engage in other self-destructive behaviors.
This use of the expression was popularized among Gen Z in 2024, but slang like 'crash out,' such as 'it's giving,' 'tea' and 'period,' often derive from African American Vernacular English (AAVE), a dialect of English commonly spoken by Black Americans.
'Crash out' is likely no different, and some argue that it originates in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Urban Dictionary posts with this use of the expression date back to 2016, but several online sources, including The Independent and Know Your Meme, trace "crash out" back to Baton Rouge-based rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, who released the song, "Stepped On" in 2017, featuring the lyric, "Crash out if I'm nervous."
We owe celebrities their privacy
We've likely all experienced a "crash out," even if we don't label it as such. But most of us don't have our most stressful moments filmed for millions to judge.
Bieber is not the first celebrity to ask for privacy. Gigi Hadid asked paparazzi, media and fan social media accounts not to share any photos of her and Zayn Malik's daughter. Chappell Roan snapped back at a photographer on the MTV red carpet and has continuously asked fans to respect her boundaries. When 'Good Morning America' host Michael Strahan's daughter Isabella was diagnosed with a brain tumor, fans on social media gossiped about his 'mysterious' absence.
It's easy to ignore others' boundaries. "In the age of social media, the general public has become trained to share not only their most private moments, but to also expect others to do the same," psychologist Reneé Carr previously told USA TODAY.
Whatever Bieber is going through, it's not our business to speculate.
"Public figures need privacy to cope, heal, and develop a strategy to move forward just like everyone else," Amy Morin, psychotherapist, author of "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do" and the host of a podcast, previously told USA TODAY. "Working through issues privately can give them space to manage their emotions and strategize how to move forward without the distraction of outside opinions."
Contributing: David Oliver