Usher asked Justin Bieber to take part in his Super Bowl half-time show — but the “Baby” singer “wasn’t feeling it,” sources told Page Six.
Before Sunday’s event, Bieber’s longtime friendship with Usher sparked social-media rumors that the two would team up onstage in front of the 65,000-strong crowd and a global audience of millions.
Instead, a slightly worn-out looking Bieber, 29, and his wife Hailey, 27, watched his one-time mentor’s show from the comfort of Fanatics co-owner Michael Rubin’s $2.5 million suite at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where they were seen nodding along to the performance.
A music industry source told us: “There’s no bad blood between Usher and Justin. Justin just wasn’t up for it — he just wasn’t feeling it.”
Usher did his best to try to persuade Bieber, sources said, and wanted to create a moment that paid tribute to their history together.
The half-time star — who reportedly wed his longtime love Jennifer Goicoechea in Vegas shortly after the show — had a large hand in the creation of the Bieber brand. Usher helped the youngster find worldwide fame at just 13 after he was discovered by music mogul Scooter Braun, and the pair duetted on “Somebody to Love” in 2010.
In 2019, Bieber opened up about his struggles with anxiety. In September 2022, he called off the remaining dates of his “Justice” tour following his diagnosis with Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
In addition to a painful rash, the syndrome can cause facial paralysis and hearing loss. At the time, the musician wrote that touring “took a real toll on me.”
But earlier this month, he performed live for the first time in more than a year, at an intimate gig at Drake’s History Club in Toronto ahead of the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend.
In Vegas, Bieber was more than happy to soak in the weekend’s atmosphere.
He was seen at Rubin’s star-studded Super Bowl Party Saturday at Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, jumping behind the DJ booth and hanging out with rapper Travis Scott.
Ahead of the halftime show, one fan wrote on X that Bieber and Usher together “could solve world hunger, end global warming, clean the oceans, build villages.”
Instead, Usher brought on guest stars Alicia Keys and H.E.R. along with Lil Jon, Ludacris, Jermaine Dupri, Will.i.am, a full-on marching band and an army of dancers and Sin City showgirls.
However, another fan wrote, “Usher brought all those people on stage and not one of them was Justin BIeber.”
Despite some lackluster reviews for Usher’s performance, it was watched by just over 30 million households, according to figures released Monday.
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