Justin Bieber says he has facial paralysis due to Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Justin Bieber announced Friday that he is taking a break from performing because he is suffering from paralysis on one side of his face.

In a video posted on his verified Instagram account, the singer explained that he has Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which has left him unable to move half of his face and unable to take the stage.

“It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,” he said in the video. “As you can see this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face; this nostril will not move. So there’s full paralysis on this side of my face.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, Ramsay Hunt syndrome “occurs when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near one of your ears. In addition to the painful shingles rash, Ramsay Hunt syndrome can cause facial paralysis and hearing loss in the affected ear.”

Singer Justin Bieber attends the Met Gala in New York in May 2015.

Bieber, 13, performs on the street in Stratford, Ontario, in August 2007. His mom posted videos of him singing on YouTube, and it soon caught the eye of record executive Scooter Braun.

Bieber and R&B singer Usher attend the Kids' Choice Awards in March 2009. Bieber auditioned for Usher in 2008 and soon got a record deal.

Bieber greets fans in Toronto in August 2009. His first single, "One Time," came out a couple months earlier and went platinum. He followed that up with his debut EP, "My World," in November 2009. It also went platinum.

Bieber performs with Tina Fey in a "Saturday Night Live" skit in April 2010. Bieber was the musical guest for that episode as well. He had just released his first studio album, "My World 2.0." Powered by the lead single "Baby," it went triple platinum.

Bieber poses with his mother, Pattie Mallette; his father, Jeremy Bieber; and his sister Jazmyn before the screening of his 2011 film "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never."

Bieber kisses singer Selena Gomez at the American Music Awards in November 2011. The two started dating in 2010, and their relationship was frequently on and off.

Bieber was back on "Saturday Night Live" in February 2013, this time as the host.

Bieber gives an acceptance speech at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards.

Bieber performs during his "Believe" concert tour in August 2013.

Bieber attends a movie premiere for his concert film "Believe" in December 2013. Bieber was raised in a Christian household by his evangelical mother, Pattie, and he frequently references God in his social-media posts. In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Bieber said: "I feel I have an obligation to plant little seeds with my fans. I'm not going to tell them, 'You need Jesus,' but I will say at the end of my show, 'God loves you.' "

On January 23, 2014, Bieber was charged with drunken driving, resisting arrest and driving without a valid license after Miami Beach police say they saw the pop star street racing. Bieber later pleaded guilty to careless driving and resisting arrest. The plea agreement included a charitable donation and an anger management course.

Bieber waves after exiting the correctional center following his arrest. Earlier that month, sheriff's deputies searched his California home over the egging of a neighbor's house. Bieber later accepted a plea deal to settle a misdemeanor vandalism charge.

Days after his arrest in Miami Beach, Bieber appears at a police station in Toronto where he was charged with assaulting a limo driver in December 2013. That charge was later dropped. But in early 2015, Bieber was found guilty of assault and careless driving. Those charges stemmed from an incident in August 2014, when Bieber's ATV collided with a minivan in Stratford, Ontario.

Bieber is joined by a monkey during a Comedy Central roast of the singer in March 2015. The gag was a reference to when Bieber's capuchin monkey, Mally, was confiscated by German customs officials in 2013.

Bieber performs in Hong Kong in June 2015.

Bieber performs on stage during his "Purpose" tour in July 2016. He ended the tour early in 2017, canceling some dates because of "unforeseen circumstances."

Bieber appears at One Love Manchester, a benefit concert in Manchester, England, in June 2017. The concert was organized by Ariana Grande following a bombing at one of her shows.

Bieber warms up before playing in a celebrity basketball game that was part of the NBA's All-Star Weekend in February 2018.

Bieber walks with his fiancee, model Hailey Baldwin, in September 2018. They announced a couple of months later that they were married.

Bieber plays a guitar outside Buckingham Palace in London in September 2018. The unexpected performance came while Bieber and Baldwin were out sightseeing. A small crowd gathered to watch his short acoustic set.

In an Instagram post in March 2019, Bieber told his fans that he was taking some time away from music as he was trying to deal with "deep-rooted issues." In his post, he wrote, "Music is very important to me but Nothing comes before my family and my health."

Bieber interacts with fans at the premiere of "Justin Bieber: Seasons," a 10-part YouTube docuseries that debuted in January 2020. Earlier that month, he revealed that he had been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, an infection caused by bacteria commonly carried by ticks.

Bieber sits next to R&B singer Usher at an NBA game in Los Angeles in October 2021.

Bieber performs at the Coachella music festival in Indio, California, in April 2022. A couple of months later, he announced that he is taking a break from performing because he is suffering from paralysis on one side of his face. He said it is related to his Ramsay Hunt syndrome and that he doesn't know how long it will take him to recover.

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Bieber addressed those who have been frustrated by the recent cancellations of his concerts and said he’s “physically, obviously, not capable of doing them.”

“This is pretty serious, as you can see. I wish this wasn’t the case, but, obviously, my body’s telling me I’ve got to slow down,” he said. “I hope you guys understand. I’ll be using this time to just rest and relax and get back to a hundred percent so that I can do what I was born to do.”

He thanked his fans for being patient, said he’s been doing facial exercises to help. He said he doesn’t know how long it will take for him to recover, but earlier this week, it was announced that three of his upcoming performances were postponed.

“It’s going to be ok,,” he said. “I have hope, and I trust God.”

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Justin Bieber reveals hardest parts of marriage

01:23 - Source: HLN

In March, his wife Hailey Bieber was hospitalized due to a small blood clot in her brain.

The model later explained that she had suffered a mini-stroke due to a small hole in her heart from which the clot traveled to her brain.

She underwent surgery to close the hole which she said was between 12 and 13 millimeters.