Former teen idols Nick Carter and Donnie Wahlberg have defended Justin Bieber from suggestions he's spiraling out of control, insisting his recent string of wild antics is normal teenage behaviour.
Bieber made headlines for all the wrong reasons this month when he collapsed onstage from exhaustion, became embroiled in an argument with a paparazzo, and showed up two hours late for a concert in London, leading many gossips to wonder whether the 19-year-old is heading for a meltdown.
Now Backstreet Boys hunk Carter has opened up about his own struggle to deal with fame at a young age, explaining he dealt with similar issues.
He tells the Associated Press, "I remember getting tired. I remember getting burned out and I'm like, 'Let me relax' and you have managers, and the record label (to deal with)... And then, before you know it, the artist gets resentful and starts to revolt against them and that's when you end up with a situation like what's going on.
"In a lot of ways you're resentful and you're missing out with your friends, your childhood, you see all of your high school friends growing up... and you're like, 'Oh, I got to go back on tour?'"
And Wahlberg, who made it big with New Kids on the Block when he was 14, has urged the media to give the Baby hitmaker a break.
He adds, "Justin Bieber's making mistakes that everyone makes and he's probably trying things and exploring things that most kids his age explore, but the problem is he's got 50 paparazzi chasing him around when he does it.
"When we are 19 and 20, we think we can take on the world and we do forget that there is a lot of life left to live in front of us, and hopefully he'll get through these times and find his way into a long career and a healthy adulthood."
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