Anyone who has even a general knowledge of Justin Bieber knows the following truths about him: 1) He once owned a pet monkey, 2) He's in an on-again/off-again relationship with Selena Gomez, and 3) He's super close to his mom, Pattie Mallette.
Mallette is a fixture in Justin's world, but she's had a fascinating and often troubled life of her own. Here, everything you need to know about who she is and what she's been through.
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She Had a Troubling Childhood
Mallette has opened up about experiencing sexual abuse in her childhood, saying she was molested by a babysitter as well as a friend's grandfather. "I was sexually violated so many times that as the years went by it began to feel normal," Mallette wrote in her book Nowhere but Up: The story of Justin Bieber's Mom. "It's a strange marriage—knowing something is wrong yet at the same time finding it familiar and commonplace."
She Had a Drug and Alcohol Problem as a Teen
Mallette's been honest about her history with drug use in high school, implying that the trauma she suffered as a young child directly related to her substance problems. "I've learned it's normal and natural for anybody who's been through sexual abuse to carry that shame and that blame and feel like there's something wrong with you," she said on the Today Show. "So I definitely carried that."
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She Became Religious After a Suicide Attempt
Mallette became a Christian after she attempted suicide at 17. "It was a culmination built up over the years of the abuse and the pain," she told Today of the attempt. "At the time I was messed up with drugs and alcohol and in a depression."
She found her faith after meeting a Christian counselor. "I had people talking to me about God saying God can help you," she said during a George Stroumboulopoulos interview (watch below). "He showed up in a big way and that's just sort of what turned my perception of everything."
She and Justin Bieber's Dad Met When She Was a Teen
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Mallette and Jeremy Bieber met when she was 15 and after an on-again/off-again relationship, she became pregnant at 17 (after her attempted suicide). While some assumed she'd abort the baby, she knew that wasn't an option for her: "I just knew I couldn't. I just knew I had to keep him," she told Today. "But I just knew that I couldn't abort. I had to do my best, and I was determined to do whatever it took."
She's Celibate
Mallette hasn't had sex since she was 21, and doesn't plan to again until she's married.
"I take that vow really seriously," she told Ellen DeGeneres in 2013. "I remember when I made it, I wrote it down on a piece of paper and had someone witness it. It means a lot. I made it this far, I'm not stopping now."
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She's Still Good Friends with Justin's Dad, Jeremy Bieber
"We're friends. We get along. I love the dad that he is to Justin today," she told Today. She also told Ellen, "He's a good dad and I consider him a friend."
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Like Justin, She Was a Child Performer
Mallette started appearing on TV as young as age nine, and loved the spotlight. "It was an escape from reality for me," she told George Stroumboulopoulos. "Being on stage, you get to be somebody else [...] my life was really painful as a child. I had a love for the arts that I share with Justin, and we kinda bond over that."
She and Justin Were Estranged for a While
Per People, Justin and his mom were estranged for about two years during his wilder days, and in 2015 he opened up about their rough times to Billboard, saying the relationship was "pretty nonexisting. I was distant because I was ashamed. I never wanted my mom to be disappointed in me and I knew she was. We spent some time not talking, so it takes time to rebuild that trust … it's hard, but getting better. She's an amazing woman and I love her."
She's Not Here for Justin's Tattoos
This is what Justin Bieber looks like sans shirt:
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And nope, his mom isn't into it. "That's one of those things that I don't necessarily have to like," she told ET, adding, "He's going to make his own decisions."
She Loves Selena Gomez
While Mallette triiiiies to protect Justin's privacy, she's been peppered with questions about Selena Gomez. And she's only had nice things to say in a series of public interviews, including one with HLN, who she told: "I love her. She's a sweetheart. I really like her."
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