Justin Bieber Returns to L.A. After Manager's Ultimatum; 'Either Quit Or Keep Fighting'
Justin Bieber recently left Panama and headed back to Los Angeles after receiving an ultimatum from his manager Scooter Braun.
The pop singer, 19, fled to Central America for fun in the sun in the wake of legal woes last week and reports claimed friends and family were growing concerned over his well being. Braun, Bieber's manager and longtime friend, revealed that he gave the singer an ultimatum in the wake of his recent arrest amid reports that his partying was spiraling out of control.
"Either we quit and let you try and find a normal life or you realize that this is what this is and we've got to keep fighting," Braun told GQ magazine recounting a conversation he had with Bieber.
The "Heartbreaker" singer was arrested on suspicion of DUI, drag racing and resisting arrest without violence in Miami on Jan. 23. The incident is just the latest in a series of legal woes as just one week prior to Bieber's arrest, police raided his Calabasas home in relation to a Jan. 9 egg-throwing incident.
Braun explained that despite being Bieber's manager, he at times takes on a parenting role to ensure that the singer stays on track.
"It's the same as being with a kid growing up, as a parent. My responsibility is to always be there when they fall, to help them back up. But at some point I need to let them fail," he said.
"We've talked that sometimes he doesn't help himself because he's so angry about it. But no one really understands what he's living [through], only him," he continued. "I think to help him get through that I have to hold him to a higher standard... I can't baby him."
Bieber's troubling behavior has reportedly raised concerns for his wellbeing in recent months and insiders claim his management is urging him to seek professional help.
"Justin's team has been encouraging him to go to rehab for a while... He won't listen to his team," a source told E! News.
The singer appears to have had a change of heart as he left Panama with Braun and his mentor Usher on Tuesday after a brief stay.
"He left with his team and is flying back home to Los Angeles," a source told DailyMail UK.
"Justin is doing OK right now," another source told E!. "He's with friends and family. That's what is most important now, being surrounded by family and his closest friends."