I STARTED BELIEVING THE HYPE AND WAS ACTING IN A CERTAIN WAY, GIVING THE PAPARAZZI AND THE JOURNALISTS AMMO, AND THEY WERE FEEDING INTO IT


A familiar face on the Cannes circuit, he has regularly chartered the magnificent (if rather clumsily named) 280ft rental yacht Ecstasea, a custom-built boat ordered by billionaire Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. It has space for 14 passengers in seven cabins and its value is now estimated at $120million.


Bieber and former partner Selena Gomez also spent time on his rather more modest Princess S72, and the prince of pop is known to favour superyacht Vogue, built by Horizon, when it comes jumping in the sea for jet skiing and other water sports.


“It’s very intentional that I’m now allowing myself time to relax,” he says, “and I do love to get away from it all. I’ll never be the sort who wants to be a recluse, and I’ll always stop to say hello to people, but as I’ve got older I do understand the importance of separating yourself from the madness of it all, so to have somewhere to do that is very important. It doesn’t matter what you’re talking about in life, it pays to take your time and to give big decisions the respect they deserve.”


It also appears that stories of wild parties on Bieber’s boats, involving guests handpicked by the star, are wide off the mark. One invitee recently leaked to the press one such occasion where her and a group of friends were called on board, but suggested the popstar was apparently the “perfect gentleman”, offering quiet drinks, playing relaxing music (not his own) and inviting the yacht’s crew to sit down with them to enjoy conversation and share stories.


“I love the whole atmosphere of being by the sea,” he continues. “And I’m always thrilled to go to places like Cannes, because while


there is such a buzz and an energy, the harbour is so serene and still. I love that contrast.”


It’s fair to say Justin Bieber, in 24 years, has scaled heights most fail to come anywhere close to in a lifetime, and along the way he has learned so much from his mistakes.


“I look back now and realise I was approaching a lot of things wrong,” he admits. “Yes, I was frustrated that every stupid thing that happened was getting blown out of proportion... by the press, across social media, everywhere. It was almost like I was a reality star rather than a musician. And because of that I started believing the hype and was acting in a certain way, giving the paparazzi and the journalists ammo, and they were feeding into it.


“These days, I still need the thrill and to enjoy myself away from music,” he says, surely referencing one of his other passions, cars (his purchases include a Ferrari F430, an Audi R8, a Range Rover, a Lamborghini Aventador and a Mercedes Maybach). “But here’s the thing - stepping back, doing the nicer things in life and caring about myself more, is much more important.” Indeed, by Bieber’s own admission, his reuniting with a higher power – in the form of him rediscovering his faith – and a period of self- rehabilitation, is seeing the star well on the road to redemption. Perhaps it’s not a road after all… perhaps it’s a boat trip.


ONBOARD | WINTER 2019 | 23


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160