Fact Check

Did Justin Bieber Say the COVID-19 Vaccine 'Ruined' His Life?

The singer’s face was previously paralyzed by a viral condition called Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

Published July 7, 2022

 (Jakub Janecki/Wikimedia Commons)
Image Via Jakub Janecki/Wikimedia Commons
Claim:
Justin Bieber said the COVID-19 vaccine ruined his life after he had facial paralysis with the viral condition known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

Fact Check

On June 11, 2022, an article on the Vancouver Times website claimed that singer Justin Bieber said the COVID-19 vaccine “ruined” his life after he had facial paralysis. 

The Vancouver Times article is a work of satire, as it is a website that claims to be “the most trusted source for satire on the West Coast. We write satirical stories about issues that affect conservatives.” 

The article cited a Daily Mail report on Bieber’s facial paralysis as a result of the viral condition Ramsay Hunt syndrome, in which the varicella-zoster virus infects a nerve in the head near the inner ear. The virus is the same one that causes chicken pox, and can reside in the nerves even after chicken pox clears up, reactivating years later. It results in facial paralysis and/or hearing loss. 

According to the Vancouver Times:

Bieber admitted that “the vaccine has ruined my life. I’m going to take these criminals to court and sue them. The CEO of Pfizer has a lot of skeletons in his closet, and now it’s payback time.”

Justin Bieber is a multi-millionaire with a massive platform. If he manages to stay alive, he may be able to blow the lid off the whole fake-pandemic-conspiracy. It has long been reported that Big Pharma and Hollywood are full of WEF and UN-aligned globalists that seek to form an one world government.

Bieber did indeed have Ramsay Hunt syndrome and told fans about it in an Instagram video in early June 2022. He described how “the nerve in my ear, facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis. You can see this eye is not blinking. I can't smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move." However, he did not talk about the COVID-19 vaccine, nor did he claim it was the reason behind his paralysis.

The Daily Mail article cited by the Vancouver Times also does not link the COVID-19 vaccine to the condition, and states that Bieber postponed his concert tour due to a “non-COVID related illness.”

Soon after the Vancouver Times published its article, fact-checking site Lead Stories debunked its claim. The Vancouver Times then posted a disclaimer, pointing out it was a satire site: “Fact-checkers” from Lead Stories “fact-checked” this obvious satire article. To ease confusion, we have clearly labeled this article as satire. If there’s any confusion, please go to our About Us page.”

Sources

“Details.” Vancouver Times, https://vancouvertimes.org/about-us/. Accessed 7 July 2022.

Enriquez, Justin. “Justin Bieber Reveals He Has Facial Paralysis from RamsayHunt Syndrome.” Mail Online, 10 June 2022, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10905347/Justin-Bieber-reveals-suffered-facial-paralysis-Ramsay-Hunt-syndrome.html. Accessed 7 July 2022.

"Fact Check: Justin Bieber Did NOT Say That COVID-19 Vaccine Ruined His Life | Lead Stories." https://leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2022/06/fact-check-justin-bieber-did-not-say-that-covid19-vax-ruined-his-life.html. Accessed 7 July 2022.

LaMotte, Sandee. “What Is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, the Virus Attacking Justin Bieber’s Face?” CNN, 11 June 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/11/health/ramsay-hunt-syndrome-explainer-wellness/index.html. Accessed 7 July 2022.

Pires, Jason. “Justin Bieber: ‘The Vaccine Ruined My Life.’” Vancouver Times, 11 June 2022, https://vancouvertimes.org/justin-bieber-the-vaccine-ruined-my-life/. Accessed 7 July 2022.

“Ramsay Hunt Syndrome - Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ramsay-hunt-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351783. Accessed 7 July 2022.

Nur Nasreen Ibrahim is a reporter with experience working in television, international news coverage, fact checking, and creative writing.