Since Justin Bieber married Hailey Baldwin, the “Yummy” singer has been upfront about his struggles with his mental state and marriage. However, in a new interview, the 25-year-old alluded to the idea that his relationship with Selena Gomez was one of the reasons for his downward spiral.

Bieber and Gomez dated on and off from 2010 until March 2018. In September 2018, Bieber married Baldwin, and the couple invited their loved ones to a wedding the following year.

In a new interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, Bieber admitted that following his break up with Gomez, he needed time to work on himself before he realized Baldwin was the woman he wanted to marry.

“I’d let her know prior to the tour when we were hanging a lot. I said, ‘Listen, I’m still really hurt and still trying to figure out my way, and I’m not ready to make a commitment to you in a way that... I just don’t want to say something and do the opposite,’” he said of a conversation he had with the model.

“Because I was at the point where I’d done that in the past. And I just was honest with her, I was like, ‘I’m not in a place to be faithful,’ and all this sort of stuff, that I wanted to be, but I just wasn’t there yet.”

Bieber revealed that his split with Gomez forced him to reflect on his behavior and inspired him to make a change for the better. “Before that, in my previous relationship, I went off and just went crazy and went wild, just was being reckless,” the “Purpose” singer said.

“This time, I took the time to really build myself and focus on me, and try to make the right decisions, and all that sort of stuff. And yeah, I got better.”

Before things got better, Bieber admitted that he struggled to move on from his past relationship. “I think I was just hurt from my previous relationship,” he explained.

“I think I still was dealing with a lot of unforgiveness, and all that sort of stuff. To be honest, I don’t think I even knew what I was really struggling with at the time.”

However, he knew he needed to be honest with Baldwin to spare her from further heartbreak. “I don’t think I knew I was dealing with unforgiveness,” he shared.

“I was just in a place where I knew I didn’t want to tell [Hailey] one thing and... I felt like she respected me at the time, and I had a lot of respect for her, and so I just didn’t want to say something, and then she’d see me off doing some other thing.”

Although Bieber and Baldwin eventually found their way back to one another, the “Sorry” singer admitted he was grateful for his healthy relationship with his wife, and the progress he has made.

Justin Bieber Hailey Baldwin
Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin seen on the streets of Brooklyn on Sept. 14, 2018 in New York City. James Devaney/GC Images