Justin Bieber is riding the wave of his newly released album Swag, which dropped earlier this month, but it’s also come during a swirl of rumors about drug use and increasingly erratic social media activity. While Bieber hasn’t directly addressed the speculation, he recently posted something that many think might be a subtle nod to the chatter.
On Sunday, July 20, he shared a cryptic video to his Instagram Story (as noted by Perez Hilton) featuring a clip from a 2013 episode of Iyanla, Fix My Life. In the clip, the late rapper DMX is seen having a heartfelt conversation with life coach Iyanla Vanzant. During the exchange, Vanzant asks DMX if he wants to live “his life as a clean man.”
In the clip Justin Bieber shared, the late DMX appears puzzled when life coach Iyanla Vanzant asks if he wants to live a clean life. “When you say clean — no weed? No drinking? Nothing?” he asks.
Vanzant clarifies that she means completely sober—no substances at all—explaining that this would make him a “clear, pure vessel for the voice of God.”
DMX responds, “I think I’m exactly where I need to be with God.”
It’s unclear whether Bieber posted the clip as a tribute to DMX or because he saw himself reflected in that moment. What’s certain is that DMX passed away in April 2021 at age 50, following a cocaine-induced heart attack.
Bieber’s cryptic post comes on the heels of months of strange headlines and speculation. Back in February, he addressed drug use rumors, explaining that his worn-out appearance was due to the pressure of finishing his album and raising his son, Jack Blues, with wife Hailey Bieber. Last month, reports emerged of tension in their marriage, just as Justin had a run-in with paparazzi that went viral after he shouted, “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business.”
On his new album Swag, Bieber nods to those rumors and the “clocking” moment. Despite the controversy, Swag is doing big numbers—it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 163,000 pure sales in its first week.
