Bieber Calls Off Meet & Greets

Fans won’t be getting so close to Justin Bieber from now on. The pop star says he’s canceling meet & greets because they leave him “feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted to the point of depression.” The new policy comes after reports of a security incident at Monday’s show in Los Angeles.

Bkstg – a platform that offers fans access to exclusive videos, music, limited edition merch and VIP packages – released a FAQ statement today to detail the changes to the “I’ll Show You #Purpose Experience,” effective March 25. Instead of taking group photos with fans who purchased those VIP packages, Bieber, his dancers and band will make appearances in the hospitality lounge. The packages still include early entry into the venue and an exclusive #GetClosertoJustin laminate.

The company said one reason the meet & greet is being called off “had to do with an incident that occurred in a group setting.”

TMZ reported Tuesday that Bieber “had a scary moment at his concert Monday night, when an obsessed and potentially dangerous fan got within 10 feet of him during a meet and greet.” According to the gossip site’s sources, “The fan in question was on the ‘watch list’ of Justin’s security.  Justin wasn’t aware the fan was so close, but security became alarmed when they noticed her and removed her from the area.”

Photo: Charles Sykes / Invision / AP
NBC's "Today" show, Rockefeller Plaza, New York City

The Biebs broke the news about his meet & greets with the following Instagram post:

Love u guys.. I’m going to be canceling my meet and greets. I enjoy meeting such incredible people but I end up feeling so drained and filled with so much of other people’s spiritual energy that I end up so drained and unhappy.. Want to make people smile and happy but not at my expense and I always leave feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted to the point of depression .. The pressure of meeting people’s expectations of what I’m supposed to be is so much for me to handle and a lot on my shoulders. Never want to disappoint but I feel I would rather give you guys the show and my albums as promised. Can’t tell you how sorry I am, and wish it wasn’t so hard on me.. And I want to stay in the healthy mindset I’m in to give you the best show you have ever seen 😉

Fans who already purchased the Ultimate #Purpose Experience packages will still get the chance to meet their idol.

Bkstg says, “For the Ultimate #Purpose Experience, the meet and greet is one on one, so at this moment we are trying to make those still happen. Unfortunately there is not enough time for everyone to have a one-on-one photo, so we’re unable to offer this for the I’ll Show You #Purpose Experience.”

If you already purchased an I’ll Show You #Purpose package and wish to switch to the Ultimate #Purpose Experience, you’re out of luck – no upgrades are available. Refunds for the I’ll Show You #Purpose Experience are available, but keep in mind this means you’ll be forfeiting your ticket to the show too.