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EXCLUSIVE: Justin Bieber's Uncle Speaks to Star!

Justin & Brad Bieber

When Justin Bieber was arrested in Miami nearly two weeks ago, his dad was one of the first to tweet a message of support for the troubled 19-year-old. Now, Star has spoken with Jeremy Bieber’s brother (and Justin’s uncle), Brad Bieber, regarding the singer’s recent behavior.

In our exclusive interview, Brad says that his nephew has gone off the rails, not because he’s a brat, but because he’s an exhausted child who has hit rock bottom after splitting from Selena Gomez. “It would be nice if everyone realized that he’s just a boy,” explains Brad, who raised his own, young daughter alongside Justin in his hometown of Ontario, Canada.

“He’s a little lost, but he’s still that boy who used to sing in church and loved to make people smile,” he adds. “He was disciplined and he was awesome. He loved to play, he was brilliant at anything he put his mind to and it’s sad that people don’t see that anymore. Right now he is going through a difficult time, but hearing he had turned himself into police made me very proud he had done the right thing.”

Here, Brad is referring to an incident separate from the Miami DUI, in which the Biebs is facing assault charges. He cites the 19-year-old’s breakup with Selena as the cause of his recent breakdowns. “How would you feel if your first love didn’t work out?” he asks. “How would you feel if that relationship went sour and then it became public and you had no chance to sort out your emotions and feelings? It would be nice if people realized that maybe he’s still sad, maybe he’s tired, or maybe he just needs a break and he’s exhausted. Give him a break. I know my nephew, I’m very close to him and he truly is an amazing boy. He is just a broken hearted, lost, little boy.”

Although Jeremy was present at the scene of Justin’s recent drag racing incident (which led to his DUI arrest), Brad insists that his brother is not a bad influence. “When I heard about what happened, I called my brother and he told me exactly what I was hoping to hear: that everything would be fine, and to relax. He didn’t sound worried, he didn’t sound concerned — he just sounded like Jeremy.”

But while Brad stands by his nephew, he does think taking a step away from the spotlight will be beneficial for him. “We can all hide behind curtains and fake happiness,” he says. “Is he actually happy? That would be up for him to say. He’s a teenage boy with untapped wealth, and with that comes responsibility, which perhaps he hasn’t found yet. I’ve spoken to him and I know he’s trying to find the man in himself. He’s trying to grow up and with that comes plenty of mistakes. He needs to go away and find himself, then he can come back a new man, or perhaps, just come back and realize he likes himself the way he is.”

Brad concludes our interview with kind words about Justin. “I love my nephew,” he gushes. “I’m incredibly proud of him. I’m not worried about him at all. His mother, Patti, raised him with an amazing heart. He was raised in the church, he has great family support, and he’s not ‘Justin Bieber the superstar’ to me. He’s ‘Justin Bieber my nephew.’ I don’t care what’s been said, or what he’s done. All I care about is if he’s happy when he closes his eyes at night. Maybe he isn’t happy right now, but I want everyone to know he’ll come out of the other side shining. Let Justin be Justin…and let him know that it’s okay not to be perfect.”

MORE LINKS

Miley Cyrus Gives Advice to Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber’s Toxicology Reports Revealed

Justin Bieber: Assault Charges in Toronto

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