On Tuesday, Justin Bieber told fans in a statement posted on his Instagram story that he was calling off the remainder of his Justice World Tour to prioritize his health.

He wrote: “Earlier this year, I went public about my battle with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, where my face was partly paralyzed. As the result of this illness, I was not able to complete the North American leg of the Justice Tour. After resting and consulting with my doctors, family and team, I went to Europe in an effort to continue with the tour. I performed six live shows, but it took a real toll on me. This past weekend, I performed at Rock in Rio and I gave everything I have to the people in Brazil. After getting off stage, the exhaustion overtook me.”  Bieber said he knew in that moment that he had to “make my health the priority,” adding, “I’m going to take a break from touring for the time being. I will be okay, but I need time to rest and get better. Thank you for your prayers and support throughout all of this.” 

Bieber shared news of his health issues in June and said of his remaining U.S. tour dates at the time, “I’m just physically not capable of doing them. This is pretty serious.” Bieber was able to restart his tour the following month, performing at Italy’s Lucca Summer festival.  According to the Mayo Clinic, Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by the chickenpox virus, which continues to lay dormant in a person after initial infection and can reactivate as a shingles rash. The syndrome is caused when a shingles rash, which can be painful, breaks out near one’s ear. It can trigger facial paralysis and hearing loss.

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