Selena Gomez has claimed she was subjected to “emotional abuse” during her relationship with Justin Bieber.
The singer is currently promoting her latest album Rare, which was trailed by the emotional lead single Lose You To Love Me.
Asked about the song’s personal lyrics during an interview with NPR, Selena said: “I felt I didn’t get a respectful closure, and I had accepted that, but I know I needed some way to just say a few things that I wish I had said.
“It’s not a hateful song; it’s a song that is saying — I had something beautiful and I would never deny that it wasn’t that. It was very difficult and I’m happy it’s over.
“And I felt like this was a great way to just say, you know, it’s done, and I understand that, and I respect that, and now here I am stepping into a whole other chapter.”
The interviewer then asked whether she was specifically talking about her past romance with Justin Bieber, which she confirmed she was.
She continued: “It’s dangerous to stay in a victim mentality. And I’m not being disrespectful, I do feel I was a victim to certain abuse…”
When NPR asked whether she specifically meant “emotional abuse”, she responded: “Yes, and I think that it’s something that — I had to find a way to understand it as an adult. And I had to understand the choices I was making.
“As much as I definitely don’t want to spend the rest of my life talking about this, I am really proud that I can say I feel the strongest I’ve ever felt and I’ve found a way to just walk through it with as much grace as possible.”
Although he didn’t mention Selena specifically, Justin did speak about his behaviour in past relationships in a statement he posted on Instagram last year.
He wrote: “I started doing pretty heavy drugs at 19 and abused all my relationships. I became resentful, disrespectful to women and angry.
“I became distant to everyone who loved me, and I was hiding behind a shell of a person that I had become.”
Justin’s representatives had no additional comment when contacted by HuffPost UK.
Last year, Justin tied the knot with his new wife, Hailey Bieber, and is currently gearing up for the release of his new album, Changes.
Changes will be accompanied by a 10-part documentary series, Justin Bieber: Seasons, which will be available to stream on YouTube.