The internet's appetite for celebrity parenting failures has always been bottomless, and a fresh clip from Sicily is the latest meal.
Justin Bieber has come under fresh scrutiny after a short video of him apparently smoking while relaxing aboard a luxury yacht with wife Hailey Bieber and their young son, Jack Blues Bieber, went viral across social media. The footage was captured aboard a yacht at Marina di Villa Igiea in Palermo. It shows the Grammy-winning singer seated at an outdoor table with Hailey and their son while holding what appears to be a cigar.
Brief as it is, the clip tore through TikTok, X, and Reddit over the Aug. 1 weekend. It quickly fuelled debate online, with many users arguing that smoking so close to a child was irresponsible, even in an open-air setting, and much of the criticism focused on concerns over second-hand smoke.
But what began as criticism of Bieber rapidly forked in a second direction. Others directed their anger towards Hailey, accusing her of failing to intervene. One X user called her "submissive," writing that "That's why he's married to that idiot. She's submissive to him. Every toxic narcissistic man likes women like that because it's easier to control and manipulate them." Not everyone believed Hailey deserved the blame. Several users argued that responsibility rested solely with Justin, saying the singer has repeatedly escaped criticism despite attracting controversy over the years.
Bieber jetted off for the vacation with his family to Italy after wrapping up a headliner performance during the FIFA World Cup. Rather than lie low, the 32-year-old appeared to lean into the controversy. He has since shared several Instagram posts and Stories showing himself smoking, which some fans have interpreted as a response to the criticism. In one photo dump alone, the pop star shared 18 images of himself smoking cigars, and the comments quickly turned into a wall of fans pleading with him to stop.
None of this is new territory. At Coachella 2025, Bieber was caught on camera smoking what appeared to be a blunt with his 15-year-old brother Jaxon nearby, sparking backlash on social media. Hailey intervened to remove Jaxon from the smoke-filled scene. Weeks later, in May, he posted a photo on Instagram in which he appeared to be smoking from a bong. A source close to the family told People at the time: "Justin is having fun, vibing out and yes, he smokes weed like everyone else. But everything he does is being weaponized against him." His representative stated separately in March 2025: "The recurring narrative that Justin is using hard drugs is not true."
The gendered split in the backlash is worth noting. Bieber is the one holding the cigar, yet a significant portion of the outrage online has targeted his wife for not stopping him. Not everyone agreed with that framing; several users argued that responsibility rested solely with the singer himself. It is a pattern that has followed the couple through years of public scrutiny. Over the past year, Justin and Hailey have repeatedly found themselves at the centre of social media speculation, ranging from rumours about his health and well-being to claims of marital difficulties.
Neither Justin nor Hailey has publicly addressed the latest criticism surrounding the yacht footage. Whether the 18-cigar photo dump counts as an answer is a matter of interpretation. The couple welcomed Jack Blues, their first child, in August 2024. He turns two this month.
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