Justin Bieber reveals he's suffering from facial paralysis due to a virus

Justin Bieber
(Image credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Justin Bieber is asking fans to keep him in their prayers after sharing some scary medical news.

The "Sorry" singer revealed Friday he has to cancel his upcoming shows because half of his face is currently paralyzed. Bieber explained in an Instagram video he's suffering from Ramsay Hunt syndrome as a result of a virus attacking his facial nerves.

In the video, the singer showed how he's now unable to smile on the right side of his face and also can't blink his right eye. "So there's full paralysis on this side of my face," he said, noting he's physically unable to perform his shows for the time being.

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"This is pretty serious, as you can see," Bieber said. "I wish this wasn't the case, but obviously my body's telling me I've got to slow down."

The pop star revealed the details after previously announcing he'd postpone his next three shows because "my sickness is getting worse." Earlier this year, Bieber's wife Hailey Bieber had her own scary medical episode when she was hospitalized with a blood clot in her brain.

Bieber said on Instagram he now plans to take time to rest so he can "get my face back to where it's supposed to be," but he assured fans, "It's going to be okay. I have hope."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan is a staff writer at The Week. A graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in journalism, he also writes about horror films for Bloody Disgusting and has previously contributed to The Cheat Sheet, Heavy, WhatCulture, and more. He lives in New York City surrounded by Star Wars posters.