You probably don’t know the full story behind the woman who raised one of the biggest pop icons of our generation. Her path was anything but easy, yet today she stands as a testament to resilience and unconditional love for her son.
“I grew up surrounded by s**ual abuse and violence. The abuse started when I was just three years old. Among those who violated me were a male babysitter, the grandfather of someone I considered a friend, and other kids in the neighborhood who seemed far too knowing for their age. The violations happened so frequently that, as time passed, they started to feel like just another part of life,” recalls the mother of Justin Bieber.
A childhood marked by darkness
Pattie Mallette—now in her forties—is a Canadian film producer and screenwriter who also happens to be Justin Bieber’s mom. She was there from the beginning, guiding his first steps into music.
She became a mother at just 17, unmarried and emotionally fragile.
In Mallette’s own words: “I grew up surrounded by s**ual abuse and violence. The abuse started when I was just three years old. Among those who violated me were a male babysitter, the grandfather of someone I considered a friend, and other kids in the neighborhood who seemed far too knowing for their age. The violations happened so frequently that, as time passed, they started to feel like just another part of life. It creates this bizarre disconnect—you understand something is deeply wrong, but simultaneously, it becomes familiar, almost routine.”
By 14, she had turned to alcohol, marijuana, and LSD. Shoplifting became another outlet.
She was kicked out of school after deliberately starting a fire in the bathroom—a rebellious act of destruction.
Her relationship with Jeremy Bieber began when she was just 15, lasting about four years.
At 16, she left home for good, scraping by through petty theft and selling drugs.
During these years, she battled crushing loneliness, severe depression, and thoughts of ending her life. At 17, a suicide attempt led to hospitalization in a psychiatric facility. It was there that she discovered Christianity.
Following her release, Mallette attempted to rebuild connections with people from her past, though they didn’t embrace her new spiritual path.
She reconnected with Jeremy Bieber. Six months into their renewed relationship, she discovered she was expecting.
On March 1, 1994, in London, Ontario, she welcomed her son Justin into the world. Though she and Jeremy tried to make things work after their son’s arrival, they eventually went their separate ways.
When Justin showed early signs of musical talent around age two, Mallette became his biggest supporter.
As a young teen, she entered him into Stratford Star, a local talent competition in 2007. He performed Ne-Yo’s “So Sick” and finished as runner-up.
Mallette filmed the performance and posted it on YouTube so extended family could see it. She kept uploading more videos as Justin’s performances gained traction online, eventually catching fire across the internet.
In September 2012, Christian publisher Revell released her memoir, “Nowhere but Up.”
The book chronicles Mallette’s painful early years and her transformation from abandonment and the struggles of solo parenting into someone with deep faith, grace, and hope.
It landed at number seventeen on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Critics and readers worldwide have responded to her story.
Though Justin didn’t grow up in a conventional two-parent household, his mother made sure he understood that he could create that stability for his own future family.
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