He is believed to struggle with certain public situations because of a fear of being around large crowds.

But Justin Bieber’s alleged social anxiety wasn’t the sole reason for his decision to swerve the Vanity Fair party on Sunday night and allow his wife Hailey, 28, to go it alone after the Oscars.

The troubled singer, who has been plagued with concerns about his well-being in recent months, knew his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez would be there and he did not want to overshadow what could have been a big night for the singer and actress, according to insiders.

Justin, 31, has an enormous amount of ‘respect’ for Selena, 32, who played Jessi Del Monte in Oscar-nominated Emilia Pérez, and knew that if he had attended, he would have been dragged into the narrative.

‘Justin is invited every year, and he attended the party two years ago,’ said a source close to the Baby singer. ‘But there was no way he was going near it this year.

‘He knew that Selena was going to be there, obviously. Justin recognizes that she is shining right now, and he is proud of her. The last thing he wants to do is take away from her moment to shine. He does respect Selena.

+9
View gallery

Insiders have revealed to DailyMail.com why there was ‘no way’ Justin Bieber was going anywhere near the Vanity Fair after party on Sunday night

+9
View gallery

Hailey Bieber, 28, attended the famous Oscars after party without Justin, 31, who had been invited

‘Hailey didn’t care that she was going to be there but she did avoid any interaction.’

Justin and Selena enjoyed an on-and-off romance between 2010 and 2018. Despite being in long term relationships – Selena is engaged to Benny Blanco – the pair have never attended the same event in the years since they split.

‘They don’t attend the same events,’ said a second insider. ‘This is nothing new. Their teams ensure that this does not happen.

‘Selena is on fire right now. She is in the best place career wise, being recognized for her acting and has a new album on the horizon. She is also engaged to the love of her life.’

Selena got engaged to producer Benny Blanco, 36, in December. The pair recently worked on a new song together, Scared of Loving You, with Gracie Abrams.

DailyMail.com previously reported how Justin had ‘mixed feelings’ about news of their engagement, not least because he used to consider Benny – who has produced several of Justin’s songs, including the 2016 hit Cold Water – to be one of his ‘closest friends’.

‘[Justin] confided in Benny about his heartbreak over Selena,’ a source said last month. ‘In a way, Justin felt betrayed [over the engagement], even though he knew he had no right to feel that way.’

Selena recently gushed about her love for Benny, two years after she opened up about her painful split from Justin, which she described as the ‘best thing that ever happened to [her]’.

+9
View gallery

The troubled singer knew his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez would be there and he did not want to overshadow what could have been a big night for the actress, according to insiders

+9
View gallery

‘Justin recognizes that [Selena] is shining right now, and he is proud of her,’ a source said. ‘The last thing he wants to do is take away from her moment to shine’ (Selena in Emilia Perez)

+9
View gallery

Justin and Selena enjoyed an on-and-off romance between 2010 and 2018 (pictured at the MTV VMAs in 2011)

‘Everything was so public,’ she reflected in her Apple + documentary, My Mind & Me in 2022. ‘I felt haunted by a past relationship that no one wanted to let go of. Then I just moved past it, and I wasn’t afraid anymore.

‘I feel like I had to go through the worst possible heartbreak ever and then just forgetting everything at the drop of the hand, it was really confusing. But I just think that needed to happen and ultimately it was the best thing that ever happened to me.’

The heartbreak is believed to have inspired her 2020 hit song Lose You to Love Me.

Soon after they parted, Justin rekindled with Hailey much to the disappointment of some fans who refused to accept that the teenage sweethearts, who they affectionately dubbed ‘Jelena,’ were no more.

Hailey was subjected to cruel jibes from trolls who brazenly compared her to Selena. Over the years the former Disney star has urged fans to be kind to Hailey who has previously voiced her ‘hurt’ at the never-ending criticism.

‘It hurts to be compared to other human beings every single day, it hurts for people to jump to conclusions and make assumptions,’ she said in 2020. ‘It hurts to be called names, and to feel like you don’t measure up to a certain standard.. the list goes on and on.’

In recent months Hailey has been juggling becoming a new mom with ongoing fears for her husband’s health, as well as rumours of marital problems – which were exacerbated when he briefly unfollowed the model on Instagram. He later attributed the move to someone ‘hacking’ his account.

The couple, who welcomed son Jack in August, have made few public appearances together, with Justin frequently stepping out alone in bizarre clothing and looking gaunt.

+9
View gallery

Selena got engaged to producer Benny Blanco, 36, in December. The pair recently worked on a new song together, Scared of Loving You, with Gracie Abrams (pictured at the Oscars)

+9
View gallery

Justin’s latest social media post left fans worried, as he shared photos that showed him smoking from what appeared to be a bong while sitting on an electric bike

Most recently he has posted a slew of pictures and videos of showing him smoking, including one image on Monday of him appearing to use a bong while sitting on an electric bike.

It came days after he shared videos of him smoking a ‘joint’ and rapping about getting ‘high.’

DailyMail.com previously reported how Hailey is ‘deeply concerned’ for her husband and doesn’t know ‘where to turn’ for ‘help.’

His troubling demeanour in recent months coincides with the epic fall from grace of his former mentor Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who was arrested last year on suspicion of a string of sex trafficking and racketeering offences. He has denied the claims.

Another insider said Justin has been struggling with his mental health for the last couple of years and that ‘a significant part of that is down to his worry about being in certain public situations.’

They added: ‘He has built up a deep fear of being out in spaces with lots of people and has a deep-seated worry about large crowds.’

Justin has been holed away in Idaho where he appears to be working on new music. He shared snaps from the trip where he also celebrated his 31st birthday.