Justin Bieber is “so proud” of Simone Biles amid her decision to withdraw from two of the gymnastics finals she was due to take part in at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for the sake of her mental health.
The 24-year-old gymnast cited poor mental health as the reason for pulling out of both the women’s team final and the women’s individual all-round final at the prestigious sporting event, as she was struggling with the pressure of living up to people’s expectations after she won four gold medals for team USA at the 2016 games in Rio.
And now, pop megastar Justin has said he fully supports Simone’s decision, as he encouraged her not to let her career begin to “steal [her] joy”.
He wrote on Instagram: “nobody will ever understand the pressures you face! I know we don’t know each other but I’m so proud of the decision to withdraw. It’s as simple as - what does it mean to gain the whole world but forfeit your soul.
“Sometimes our no’s are more powerful than our yes’s. When what you normally love starts to steal your joy it’s important we take a step back to evaluate why. (sic)”
Justin, 27, went on to say he can relate to Simone after he previously cancelled the final 14 dates of his “Purpose” world tour in 2017 in order to focus on his mental health in a way that is “sustainable”.
He added: “People thought I was crazy for not finishing the purpose tour but it was the best thing I could have done for my mental health!! So proud of you @simonebiles (sic)”
Earlier this week, Simone spoke out after getting off to a shaky start after being penalised for errors in the floor and vault during the preliminary round.
She posted on Instagram: "Prelims [done] now to prepare for finals. It wasn't an easy day or my best but I got through it.
"I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn't affect me but damn sometimes it's hard hahaha! The Olympics is no joke! (sic)"
And after stumbling in the vault routine during the team final, Simone pulled out of the competition, before later revealing she wouldn’t be taking part in Thursday’s individual all-round final.
Her team will continue to monitor her health with the hope that she will return to the gymnastics arena for next week’s individual event finals.