A day after a grim-faced Justin and Hailey Bieber were photographed attending services at their local Beverly Hills megachurch, a conservative Christian YouTube minister removed the Instagram post that initially sparked this week’s speculation about the health of their marriage.
Hailey Bieber reportedly, and understandably, was unhappy about reports that she and Justin were dealing with “something” in their marriage — and about her father’s role in encouraging the speculation, according to TMZ. Earlier this week, Stephen Baldwin shared an Instagram post from his minister friend, Victor Marx, the founder of All Things Possible Ministries. Marx is an ex-Navy SEAL and “faith contributor” to the pro-Trump conservative youth group, Turning Point USA.
Marx’s post shared a video that showed Stephen Baldwin’s famous son-in-law, playing the guitar and singing “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever.” Marx described his personal connection to Justin and Hailey Bieber by revealing that Hailey’s mother, Kennya Baldwin, and his own wife and business partner, Eileen Marx, were praying for the couple.
American actor and producer Victor Marx (L), from the NGO All Things Possible, poses with a child he adopted on July 11, 2017, during a press conference in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The Iraqi boy was rescued by the army after his parents were killed by Islamic State (IS) group snipers during their escape fron an area in Mosul under IS control. (Photo by Safin HAMID / AFP) (Photo by SAFIN HAMID/AFP via Getty Images)
“I seldom like to post about certain folks in the limelight because of the negative comments we get,” Marx wrote. But he explained why he thought it was necessary to post about the pop star and his supermodel wife. “There are special challenges that folks in high visibility positions face and also the enemy doesn’t want them to draw closer to Jesus,” Marx captioned his post. “They often face spiritual warfare (that’s) intense and seeks to ship-wreck their faith, marriage and life in general.”
Stephen Baldwin amplified his friend’s post by sharing it on Instagram Wednesday. Baldwin’s re-post, asking Christians to pray for his supermodel daughter and pop star son-in-law, garnered national attention, with the couple’s fans and the media wondering what was going on.
With Baldwin’s re-post, many were introduced for the first time to Marx, and wondering about his connection to the Biebers. Some outlets referred to Marx as Justin and Hailey Bieber’s minister, though this isn’t clear, The Cut reported. Whatever Marx’s connection to the couple, he faced blowback on social media from people who thought he had crossed a line by publicly posting about them, according to BuzzFeed News.
Late Thursday, Marx removed the original post, replacing it with a video in which he said he was “shocked” that it caught national attention and that he and his wife had turned down multiple requests for interviews. He insisted that Justin and Hailey are “doing great” and explained that his wife and Hailey’s mother routinely pray together. And, as a matter of course, the mothers “consistently” include all their children in their prayers.
Marx said his post was mostly intended to praise celebrities who are open about their faith. “We need to lift people up who express faith in Christ and who are in the limelight,” Marx said.
Contrary to Marx’s positive assessment of Justin and Hailey Bieber, TMZ reported that “something” is indeed going on with the couple, though the outlet wasn’t told what. Sources “with direct knowledge” told TMZ that Stephen Baldwin’s plea for well-wishes toward his daughter and son-in-law “did not just come out of nowhere … and was related to something specific that’s going on with the young couple.”
Stephen Baldwin attends the NBC Universal Winter TCA Tour at the Langham Huntington Hotel on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Whatever the issue is, Stephen Baldwin was aware of it, TMZ reported. Perhaps he disclosed this “something” to Marx. The actor certainly picked up Marx’s message and shared it with his Instagram followers, hoping to “pass along good vibes in the form of prayers from others” to his daughter and son-in-law, TMZ added.
However, Hailey and Justin viewed the issue as “private” and something they are working on, TMZ reported. Hailey, therefore, is “not pleased with her dad drawing attention to them,” TMZ reported.
Aware of the spotlight on them, Justin and Hailey put on an a united front by attending church together Wednesday night, according to reports. But their destination doesn’t appear to have anything to do with Marx. They headed to Churchome, a nondenominational church that has become one of the most influential Christian congregations in Hollywood. according to a 2019 report by Marie Claire.
Churchome is especially known for its Wednesday night service at the historic Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, “where it’s not uncommon to find the front rows reserved for celebrities and the back doors staked out by paparazzi,” Marie Claire reported. In addition to the Biebers, the L.A. services also have drawn the likes of Kourtney Kardashian, Ciara and Russell Wilson, and Selena Gomez, Marie Claire also said.
As Marx correctly suggested, Justin and Hailey Bieber have always been open about discussing how their Christian faith has been instrumental in their relationship, BuzzFeed News reported. In 2020, Hailey told Elle that their religion is “the most important part” of their relationship. She said: “Following Jesus together, being a part of the church community together. It’s everything.”
Meanwhile, Marx has his ministry and related business and philanthropic ventures. According to Marx’s different websites and social media channels, the self-described survivor of childhood sexual abuse aims to help others affected by trauma. He calls himself “a high risk humanitarian,” who is involved in global missions to “hunt predators” and to “rescue, restore and empower women and children who have been held captive by traffickers.”
Related Articles
Jet carrying Grammy-winning artist Karol G makes emergency landing in Southern California
Rachel Leviss sues ‘Vanderpump Rules’ costars Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix for revenge porn and more
Off the market: Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani announces his marriage
Who is Jeremiah Brent? Meet the new ‘Queer Eye’ design expert following Bobby Berk’s exit
Bradley Cooper walks around naked at home; ‘totally’ comfortable, he says in new interview
Meanwhile, sometimes with his wife, Marx also teaches an array of classes that cover such topics as “building a better marriage” and freeing oneself of pornography. With his military and martial arts expertise, Marx also teaches classes in leadership and combat training. On top of all this, Marx hosts a YouTube show and podcast. Like his friend Stephen Baldwin, he allies himself with conservative causes, with his social media posts showing a belief that homosexuality is a sin and the result of trauma, an opposition to gay marriage, an obsession with Jeffrey Epstein’s client list and his support for Donald Trump returning to the White House.
With his public comments on Justin and Hailey Bieber, Marx momentarily achieved exposure outside those conservative circles. He’s also faced backlash. BuzzFeed News reported that people on Reddit called him out for his “inappropriate” posts, which one person said was “so invasive.”
“If I were Justin or Hailey, I would never talk to this man again,” another person said. “Whatever is going on with J&H, this is an appalling invasion of their privacy by their church,” yet another concluded.
Speculation about the well-being of Justin and Hailey’s marriage has followed them since they married in 2018. Both also have had their share of physical and mental health struggles, according to Us Weekly. Justin struggled with addiction as a teenager, battled Lyme disease in 2020 and was diagnosed in 2020 with facial paralysis due to Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a neurological disorder. Hailey, meanwhile, suffered a small blood clot in her brain in 2022. Throughout these issues, Justin and Hailey have publicly supported each other, Us Weekly also reported.
“I love u baby,” Hailey wrote via her Instagram Story in June 2022, resharing Justin’s video detailing his Ramsay Hunt syndrome diagnosis.