Inside the tough and challenging life of Pattie Mallette, this account reveals the remarkable journey of a talented scriptwriter and producer best known as the mother of pop superstar Justin Bieber.

Many remain unaware of the hardships she endured and the obstacles she overcame to shape her life. Although Justin Bieber is now one of the most famous figures in the music industry, his success does not shield him from struggles, and his relationship with his mother has seen ups and downs. Born on April 2, 1975, in Stratford, Ontario, and hailing from a French-Canadian background, Pattie’s early years were marked by tragedy when her five-year-old sister Sally was killed in a car accident while she was only two, leaving an indelible mark on her family and defining her formative experiences. At 17, Pattie became a single mother to Justin, facing the immense challenge of raising him alone in low-income housing in Canada with support from her parents, who also served as his grandparents. From as early as age three, she suffered abuse and violence, recalling that her abusers included a male babysitter, the grandfather of a friend, and neighborhood children who seemed older than their years. By the age of 14, she began experimenting with substances and resorted to shoplifting, and she was eventually expelled from school for setting a fire in the bathroom. The cycle of sexual abuse continued, and she later revealed in her book that she experienced date rape at 15, an ordeal so frequent that it eventually felt disturbingly normal, making the sense of wrongdoing both familiar and ordinary. Despite these early traumas, Pattie discovered her passion for the arts; by age nine she appeared on local television shows like Romper Room and competed in community talent contests such as Big Top Talent. At 15, she entered a four-year relationship with Jeremy Bieber, but by 16 she left home and turned to theft and drug dealing to survive. In an interview, she admitted that her childhood was filled with pain, yet her love for the arts, which she still shares with her son, helped forge a strong bond between them.

As her struggles began to take their toll, 17-year-old Pattie battled despair and suicidal thoughts, even attempting to end her life before being admitted to a facility that practiced Christian conversion therapy. After her discharge, she reconnected with old friends and distanced herself from those associated with her new faith, and during that time she rekindled her relationship with Jeremy Bieber. After six months of dating, she discovered she was pregnant, and on March 1, 1994, Justin was born in London, Ontario. Although Pattie and Jeremy stayed together briefly after his birth, they ultimately separated a few months later. Throughout these challenges, Pattie remained a devoted mother, always encouraging Justin in his passion for music; she helped him enter the 2007 Stratford Star talent competition, where he impressively finished second with his performance of Ne-Yo’s “So Sick,” a video she shared on YouTube that quickly gained popularity. In September 2012, she published her memoir Nowhere But Up through the Christian publisher Revell, detailing her difficult childhood and how her faith and love enabled her to foster hope and become the best single mother possible. As time passed, their relationship evolved; in 2013, Pattie explained to People that as children grow older, parenting changes, making it hard to let go and allow independence. Later, after a turning point in his career, Justin faced legal troubles when he was arrested in 2014 for street racing early in the morning, an event that strained their bond. In a 2015 Billboard interview, Justin admitted he had disappointed his mother and that rebuilding trust took time. Today, as that turbulent chapter fades, Pattie beams with pride over the man Justin has become. Her inspiring legacy continues to remind us that love and resilience can conquer any adversity.