Justin Bieber did not say COVID-19 vaccines 'ruined his life' - headline was published by satire website

Justin Bieber did not say COVID-19 vaccines 'ruined his life'

(Reuters) - Musician Justin Bieber did not say that a COVID-19 vaccine “ruined his life.” Screenshots of a blog asserting the musician said this have been circulating online, but the blog in question describes itself as satirical.

The headline of the blog in question, published on June 11, 2022, reads: “Justin Bieber: ‘The vaccine ruined my life’” (archive.ph/y6mko).

The first paragraph of the blog reads: “Justin Bieber now admits that he regrets taking the Covid-19 vaccine, saying that it left him with permanent paralysis in his face. Bieber made the confession to a close friend, who later leaked the information to the Daily Mail”.

One user shared a screenshot of the blog on July 1 with a caption that reads: “Here we go!! #JustinBieber #VaccineSideEffects #vaccineinjuries #nwo #Agenda2030 #Exposed #Pfizer” (here).

Another individual said on Instagram: “Shocker … we’ve tried to tell y’all!” (here).

Other examples of the claim shared online can be found (here), (here), and (here).

The blog outlines itself as ‘satirical’ however, and The Daily Mail article that is cited by the blog similarly does not claim that Bieber said that the vaccine “ruined his life,” nor did the report state that Bieber’s diagnosis is permanent.

Instead, The Daily Mail article published on June 10, 2022, reported on Bieber’s Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) diagnosis (archive.ph/bG9x5). The report did not claim that Bieber said that his diagnosis was linked to any vaccine.

The ‘about’ section of the blog the screenshots come from reads: “Vancouver Times is the most trusted source for satire on the West Coast. We write satirical stories about issues that affect conservatives” (archive.ph/CmcT0).

Bieber uploaded a video to Instagram on June 10, 2022, and told fans that he had to cancel upcoming concerts due to an RHS diagnosis that left half of his face paralyzed (here).

RHS can cause ear pain, a vesicular rash near the ear canal, and loss of motor function leading to one-sided facial paralysis (here).

The syndrome is caused by a reactivation in the body of the Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) - the same virus that causes shingles and chickenpox, and it can be reactivated in rare cases after a period of lying dormant in the body, causing RHS (here).

Reuters previously addressed the claim that a definitive link has been established between Ramsay Hunt syndrome and COVID-19 vaccines. Researchers told Reuters then that no definitive link between the two has been established to date (here).

VERDICT

False. Claims Justin Bieber said the COVID-19 vaccines have “ruined his life” originate in a blog that describes itself as satirical.