
John Mayer defends Justin Bieber after cancelled world tour. Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Fans were understandably upset when Justin Bieber cancelled the remainder of his Purpose world tour. It’s never fun for ticket buyers when something like that happens, but it’s unavoidable given the hectic schedules of these global stars. Bieber had been touring for 18 months and that kind of pace does take its toll. John Mayer and Passion Pit frontman Michael Angelakos even believe that Bieber could have suffered dearly had he pushed on.
“When someone pulls remaining dates of a tour, it means they would have done real damage to themselves if they kept going,” Mayer tweeted. “We’ve lost so many great artists lately. I give Justin [two thumbs-up emojis] for realizing it was time to call it. You should too.”
Angelakos has long been open about his bipolar I disorder and how the demands of fame can negatively impact his state of mind. He retweeted Mayer’s post and shared his own thoughts on the matter.
โโMental health reasonsโ went over REALLY well when I had to cancel shows 5 years ago (in a hospital receiving electroconvulsive therapy,โ Angelakos tweeted. โWas pretty rough but then my drs and I worked out a relatively manageable balance btwn treatment and touring. Toured for over two years. <3โ
Bieber’s camp did not specify an exact reason for the cancellation, though sources noted to PEOPLE that he was “super exhausted.” On Tuesday, his manager Scooter Braun posted an Instagram pictures saying: “On behalf of myself, Justin, and the team, we are sorry. That was never our intent. But a man’s soul and well being I truly care about came first and we must all respect and honor that.”
The music industry has been rocked by the recent suicides of Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington last week and Chris Cornell in May. Angelakos told Pitchfork recently that his newly founded Wishart Group will provide legal, educational and health care services to artists.
“I am speaking from a very real and personal place,โ he told Pitchfork in the statement. โI live this, and I watch other artists struggle with the friction between their health and their art.โ