Justin Bieber's Close Pal Distances Self From Singer Over Feud With His Pastor And 'Weird' Business Move

Yahoo

22-04-2025

Justin Bieber's relationship with former associate and close friend Ryan Good reportedly soured because of the singer's close ties with his pastor, Judah Smith.
Bieber, who has sparked health concerns among fans due to his behavior on social media and public appearances, finally addressed claims that he was broke and owed a "large debt."
Justin Bieber's circle has also gotten smaller in recent times as he continues to be estranged from many of his friends and associates, who are now questioning his choices.
Bieber's former associate, Ryan Good, the creative director behind the singer's popular clothing brand, Drew House, appears to be stepping back from him because of his pastor, Judah Smith.
According to TMZ, Good and Bieber have not spoken in over a year since the fashion executive left the "Peaches" singer's Churchome in Beverly Hills, the church where Bieber still worships and Smith serves as pastor.
Sources told the news outlet that Good felt Churchome was a cult, so he left, and the fact that Bieber grew closer to Smith didn't help matters at all.
It seemingly got worse after Bieber added Smith to his fashion brand's Board a few years ago, despite the fact that Good didn't get along with the pastor.
The insider described the move as "weird" because Smith is more of a pastor than a businessman. However, sources close to Smith say he has no problem with Good and wishes him well.
Meanwhile, reports suggest Good is worried about Bieber following his recent run of disturbing headlines.
Good isn't the only associate Bieber has severed ties with in recent times as his circle continues to get smaller by the day.
The "Baby" singer has since ended things with his former manager, Scott "Scooter" Braun, his associate Allison Kaye, and longtime security chief Kenny Hamilton.
He also pulled the plugs on his working relationship with TriStar after they left him feeling betrayed for allegedly mismanaging his finances for years.
However, his former friends and associates are questioning his decisions.
"Whatever he's going through, I pray for him and hope he's OK," Bieber's former collaborator Poo Bear, who co-wrote some of his biggest hits, including "Despacito," and "What Do You Mean?" told The Hollywood Reporter.
"Seeing him disintegrate like this … it's watching the embodiment of someone not living their purpose," one former team member said. "He's lost. There's no one protecting him because there's no one there willing to say no to him. You say no, you get blown out."
The 30-year-old singer continues to spark concern among fans following his "rough" appearance during week 2 of Coachella 2025.
In a clip making the rounds on social media, a shirtless Bieber can be seen smoking what appears to be weed at a soiree near the Coachella music festival in Indio, California.
He can be seen rocking to his 2015 hit "What Do You Mean?" as well as Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," but fans took to social media to comment on his appearance, with one saying he doesn't "look OK" and is "under some hard influence," per TMZ.
Another noted that Bieber "needs better friends by [his] side," while a third penned that the pop star was clearly in need of help.
It comes after the "Sorry" hitmaker sparked health concerns among fans in recent months following a series of disheveled appearances.
The father-of-one was forced to address rumors that he was "broke" and owed a "large debt" after cancelling his Justice World Tour.
Bieber addressed the claims in a statement released by his team in response to an article published by The Hollywood Reporter in which a former employee of the singer claimed he was millions in debt following the cancellation of his tour.
"This is just clickbait stupidity based on unnamed — and clearly ill-informed — 'sources,' disappointed that they no longer work with Justin," Bieber's team wrote in the statement shared with Us Weekly.
They continued, "As Justin forges his own way forward, these unnecessary stories and inaccurate assumptions will continue. But they won't deter him from staying committed to following the right path."
Bieber's team also denied the claims in a statement to THR: "Any source that is trying to sell you a story about alleged financial distress ... either doesn't understand the entertainment industry or, more likely, is trying to paint an unflattering portrait of Justin, which bears no resemblance to reality."
People who were once close to Bieber further expressed worry about his behavior due to the kind of decisions he has been making.
According to People Magazine, a source revealed that the star has been plagued by a lot of "demons," which seem to include his past ties to embattled rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, who is currently in jail awaiting trial, and his fractured relationship with Scooter Braun.
"He is facing a lot of different demons right now," the source told the news outlet. "He is making some really poor decisions lately, further impacting friendships, money, and business."
"People are worried about him," the insider further noted.