Justin Bieber & Hailey Relationship Timeline: From Fan Tweets To Family Life

For a generation raised on pop stardom and parasocial investment, few relationships have sparked as much curiosity, skepticism, and scrutiny as that of Justin and Hailey Bieber. What began with a backstage handshake in 2009 has since evolved into a highly publicized union. It's one that’s unfolded across magazine covers to a growing family.

In recent years, the Biebers have worked hard to present a united front built on faith and committment. But before the vow renewals, coordinated press runs, and matching tattoos came an origin story rooted in teen fandom. As Justin and Hailey have embarked on parenthood, we’re taking a look back at the relationship milestones that brought them here. This ranges from early encounters and viral tweets to courthouse vows and baby bump reveals. Here's a complete timeline of how Hailey Baldwin went from fangirl to forever, and how Justin Bieber turned a tabloid-laden past into a new chapter of domestic focus.

The first recorded encounter between Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber happened in 2009. It was a moment that would later become pop culture internet gold. At the time, Justin was a rising teenage sensation fresh off the release of his debut single “One Time,” while Hailey was a quiet 13-year-old accompanying her father, actor Stephen Baldwin, backstage at the Today show in New York City.

Stephen, ever the proud dad and longtime Belieber supporter, introduced his daughter to the young star. In the now-viral clip, Hailey steps forward, expression blank, as she and Justin share a stiff handshake. It’s a moment dripping with teenage awkwardness. Hailey with her arms crossed, barely making eye contact. Justin smiling and unaware he’d just met his future wife.

At the time, the interaction meant little, just another celebrity backstage run-in. But once their relationship became public nearly a decade later, the internet unearthed the footage and turned it into foreshadowing. Depending on who’s telling the story, it’s either fate or fan fiction coming full circle.

By 2011, Justin Bieber was deep into his superstardom, and Hailey Baldwin, like many teenage girls at the time, was tuned in. Though she would later claim she “didn’t really know much about him” growing up, archived tweets from this period paint a more involved picture. In one tweet dated September 23, 2011, Hailey wrote: “I don’t care what anyone says but Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez together is the definition of a teenage dream!”

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Over the next year, she’d continue posting about the couple, often retweeting Jelena fan content and responding to Selena-related news in real time. Her timeline became a digital breadcrumb trail that the internet rarely forgets. Hailey was also spotted by fans at several of Justin’s concerts and events, including movie premieres and appearances where she wasn’t yet in his circle but wasn’t far from it, either. While she wasn’t chasing headlines, her proximity to BieberWorld was growing quietly, visibly, and in ways the internet would later connect.

At the time, she was known primarily as the daughter of Stephen Baldwin, occasionally appearing at fashion events but not yet a household name. Still, she was aware of Justin’s rise and was actively watching, liking, and tweeting from the sidelines.

By 2014, Justin and Hailey’s paths crossed again. It wasn't through her father or fan events, but as young adults moving through the same celebrity circles. Now 18, Hailey was signed to Ford Models and starting to book recognizable campaigns. Justin, 20, was fresh off his Believe oTur and embroiled in a public image shift following a series of legal issues and breakups, most notably with Selena Gomez.

The two reconnected through mutual friends, including Kendall Jenner, and were soon photographed together regularly. They were often leaving church services, grabbing dinner in L.A., or hanging out in group settings. Paparazzi shots of Justin and Hailey with Kendall sparked dating rumors, which Hailey quickly shut down.

“I’ve known him since I was so young — since I was 13 — and we’ve just been good friends over the years,” she told E! News in December 2014. “We have just stayed close and there’s nothing more to it than that.”

Still, fans and media weren’t convinced. Justin had just posted an Instagram declaring he was “super single,” but his consistent time with Hailey had people speculating that the dynamic might be evolving into something more than friendship. At this point, they weren’t officially dating, but the foundation was being laid. Hailey was no longer just a fan in the crowd. She was in the photo, in the room, and increasingly, by his side.

Throughout 2015, Justin and Hailey’s relationship moved from group hangs to something more intimate, but still undefined. They were frequently seen together at church services, rooftop dinners, and on vacations with the Jenner crew. Hailey celebrated her 19th birthday at Mr. Chow with Justin and friends that November, and they rang in the New Year together in St. Barts. It was a getaway that would cement speculation.

Then, in January 2016, Justin posted a now-iconic photo of himself kissing Hailey on Instagram. No caption or clarification. Just the image of the two locking lips, confirming what everyone already assumed—thatsomething romantic had clearly developed.

Following the viral Instagram kiss, speculation around Justin and Hailey reached a new intensity. In February 2016, Justin gave an interview to GQ where he confirmed what fans had already guessed, Hailey was more than a friend.

“She’s someone I really love. We spend a lot of time together,” he said. But in the same breath, he expressed uncertainty about commitment, adding, “I don’t want to be held down by anything. I already have a lot that I have to commit to — a lot of responsibilities.”

That same month, Hailey echoed his sentiments in an interview with E! News, saying that while they had “an interesting past,” they weren’t exclusive and were intentionally keeping things undefined. “Relationships at this age are already complicated,” she said. “But I don’t really like to talk about it because it’s between me and him.”

Not long after those public comments, the pair quietly went their separate ways. There was no dramatic fallout or tabloid breakup, just a slow disappearance from each other’s social feeds and fewer public sightings. In later interviews, Hailey would confirm that things between them ended awkwardly. The two stopped speaking for some time. For fans, it seemed like a short-lived romance that faded as quickly as it was confirmed.

But in hindsight, this wasn’t the end. It was a pause.

In June 2018, after nearly two years of distance, Justin and Hailey reconnected. Things moved fast. What began with casual paparazzi shots in New York quickly escalated into daily sightings. They were photographed attending church, going on dates, and vacationing together, all within a matter of weeks. Their renewed relationship went from quiet reconciliation to full public rollout with almost no buffer.

By early July, just a month after reuniting, Justin proposed while they were vacationing in the Bahamas. The engagement sent shockwaves through social media, particularly as fans were still reeling from his recent split with Selena Gomez.

The suddenness of the proposal sparked debate, but the couple remained publicly committed. Hailey’s social media presence shifted toward showcasing their relationship, and Justin appeared visibly grounded in his decision. The two were often seen together at Hillsong Church services, brunch spots in L.A., and strolling through Manhattan with a newly engaged glow.

Just a few months later, in September 2018, they were spotted at a New York City courthouse. Though initial reports speculated they were simply obtaining a marriage license, it was later confirmed that they had legally wed that day. There was no press release or official photo op. The pair had a private legal ceremony that marked the beginning of a new chapter. Though many expected a lengthy engagement and lavish wedding, Justin and Hailey had already made it official. The formality would come later.

A year after their courthouse ceremony, Justin and Hailey hosted their formal wedding celebration on September 30, 2019, at the Montage Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolina. Surrounded by family, friends, and a curated guest list of celebrity peers that included Kendall Jenner, Jaden Smith, and Justine Skye, the Biebers exchanged vows again, this time in front of an audience.

The event was a high-fashion, high-profile affair. Hailey wore an off-shoulder lace gown custom-designed by Virgil Abloh, complete with a dramatic veil embroidered with the phrase, “Till Death Do Us Part.” The imagery from the wedding was immediately circulated by major outlets and featured in glossy editorial spreads. It was clear that the Biebers were now a packaged brand.

This moment marked a new era for both of them. Justin was publicly recommitting to his faith, his health, and his marriage, after years of turbulence and tabloid chaos. Hailey, once labeled as a side character in pop culture drama, was now front and center. She walked runways and red carpets as one half of a newly anointed power couple.

By 2020, the Biebers had officially entered their married era legally, publicly, professionally, and culturally. As the world slowed down during the pandemic, Justin and Hailey turned inward and began to reintroduce themselves on their own terms. Their marriage became a central narrative in interviews and in the content they actively created and controlled.

In January 2020, Justin launched Seasons, a YouTube docuseries that offered a curated but intimate look into his life, health battles, and personal evolution. Hailey played a visible and supportive role throughout, appearing in behind-the-scenes footage that emphasized her as a calming, stabilizing presence. The doc positioned their marriage as a safe space focused on healing and spiritual alignment.

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Throughout this period, Hailey’s fashion profile surged. She became a staple on magazine covers and campaign shoots, while Justin returned to music with the release of Changes in 2020 and Justice in 2021. They appeared together in promotional materials, interviews, and stylized photo shoots that presented them as an aesthetically aligned couple.

They also made their red carpet debut as a married couple at the 2021 Met Gala. Hailey wore Saint Laurent while Justin wore his Drew House label. Their presence was quiet but strategic, like a reintroduction of sorts, packaged for a new generation of fans and skeptics.

By 2022, the Biebers had been married for nearly four years, but the internet had yet to let go of its obsession with their history or the people tangled in it. Though Justin and Hailey continued to project a stable, stylish, spiritually grounded partnership, fan culture had begun to shift its attention from celebration to scrutiny.

Old tweets, past interview clips, and resurfaced videos of Hailey’s early fandom began circulating on TikTok and Twitter. Internet sleuths dissected her previous posts about Justin and Selena Gomez, drawing timelines and side-by-side comparisons that painted Hailey as obsessive, calculated, or even opportunistic. The internet’s narrative began to splinter with some fans defending the couple, while others accused Hailey of mean-girl behavior or of mimicking Selena’s aesthetic.

In early 2023, the drama hit a public boiling point when TikTok users began accusing Hailey of taking alleged subliminal digs at Selena through Instagram stories and coordinated friend posts. The internet responded with mass speculation, deep-dive content, and full-scale stan wars that played out like digital theater. Though Hailey and Selena both publicly denied any ill will, the damage had already been done. Hailey's online reputation took a hit, and Justin stayed noticeably silent through much of it.

Despite the noise, the couple continued showing up together at events, church services, and vacations, attempting to keep things normal while the internet framed them otherwise. Their strategy was consistent to remain visible, avoid addressing rumors directly, and let their lifestyle speak louder than commentary.

But even with well-planned photo ops and coordinated appearances, it was clear that the pressure of public perception had become an unavoidable part of their marriage. It's a reminder that in the age of parasocial fixation, peace isn’t just private. It has to be defended online, too.

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On May 9, 2024, Justin and Hailey Bieber announced they were expecting their first child. The announcement featured a series of photos and a video from a vow renewal ceremony in Hawaii, with Hailey visibly pregnant in a white lace gown . At the time, Hailey was approximately six months pregnant, having kept the news private until then.

The couple welcomed their son, Jack Blues Bieber, on August 23, 2024. Justin shared the news on Instagram with a photo of Jack's tiny foot, captioned, "WELCOME HOME JACK BLUES BIEBER." Since his birth, the Biebers have shared glimpses of Jack on social media, choosing to keep his face private while offering fans occasional updates.

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As they embraced parenthood, Justin and Hailey continued to navigate public scrutiny. In a 2025 interview, Hailey addressed the challenges of postpartum life and the impact of online speculation on their marriage, emphasizing their commitment to each other and their family .

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