Justin Bieber announced on Instagram he has partial face paralysis due to varicella-zoster virus, causing Ramsay Hunt syndrome. Due to the diagnosis, Bieber is canceling his current tour in order to recover and regain movement on the right side of his face.
“So for those who are frustrated by my cancelations of the next shows, I’m just physically, obviously not able of doing them,” said Bieber in the video.
The tour cancellation will allow Bieber to focus on recuperating.
“I wish this wasn’t the case but obviously my body is telling me I gotta slow down. I hope you guys understand, and I’m using this time to just rest and relax and get back to 100% so that I can do what I was born to do. But in the meantime, this ain’t it,” said the singer.
Throughout the video Bieber attempted to move the right side of his face. “As you can see, this eye is not blinking,” he said. “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.” After documenting for fans the severity of his case, he reiterated “This is pretty serious as you can see.”
Bieber’s Ramsay Hunt syndrome diagnosis is linked to the varicella-zoster virus, which is typically caused by the same pathogens from chicken pox. The pop star could have contracted these particular pathogens from an earlier chicken pox diagnosis, leaving the pathogens to remain dormant for years.
The partial face paralysis is one of many symptoms of Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which could also include weakness on one side of the face, in addition to lesser symptoms such as ringing in the ear, temporary hearing loss, nausea, vomiting, dry eyes, ear pain and loss of taste.
While Bieber did not reveal how he contracted the virus that caused Ramsay Hunt syndrome, he remains optimistic about his recovery and said he’s doing facial exercises to recover. “It’s going to be OK,” he reassured fans. “I hope, and I trust God and I trust that it’s all for a reason. I’m not sure what that is right now, but in the meantime I’m gonna rest.” concluded the “Peaches” singer.
Watch Bieber’s full message in the Instagram video below.