He’s had a dramatic time of late, having split up with on-off girlfriend Selena Gomez.
And it’s unclear whether Justin Bieber was comfort eating, or merely dehydrated from a just wrapped basketball session .
But the 20-year-old seemed enthralled by the sight of an ice-cream in Rome on Thursday night.
Granted, the picture of the ice-cream topped cone looks delicious. But, from the transfixed look on the Biebs’ face as he stared at the confection,the singer seemed to regard it as the Biblical Ark of the Covenant.
Although, the photographic effect was doubtless down to the reflected lights in the vehicle.
( Photo: The “Baby” singer seemed fascinated by the ice-cream in his hand and did not eat it immediately .)
( Photo: Justin spent time with his dad Jeremy in Rome. The duo decided to get some ice-cream after the singer played a game of basketball .)
Bieber has now returned to Los Angeles. He stayed in Rome for four days with his father Jeremy after stops in Greece and Florence following a short Paris Fashion Week trip with Gomez.
Earlier on Thursday, the Canadian swung by the Stella Azzurra Roma courts, reportedly after getting advice on the best place to shoot hoops when he arrived in Rome.
The Biebs wore a Los Angeles Clippers jersey but changed into a black tank top during his game with the amateur Stella Azzurra Roma team, who were practicing on their home turf.
The “Confident” singer completed his look with a white sweatband.
( Photo: Justin Bieber on the basketball court in Rome .)
( Photo: The on-off boyfriend of Selena Gomez practiced shooting, defense and dribbling on the court with the help of a basketball coach .)
( Photo: The young star attempted to mark while his opponent aimed for the hoop. )
Following the game, the singer posted a selfie to his Shots account and looked tired after the session.
“Just played ball in Rome #numerouno (sic),” Justin captioned the pic.
The day before, father and son were spotted in Vatican City . The singer reportedly paid a whopping 20,00 Euros for a private after-hours tour.
The outing reportedly included the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel in the Pope’s official residence.
Clearly impressed by what he saw, Justin later Instagrammed pics from his outing.
One revealed the singer standing beneath an ornate ceiling.
Another showed him holding a ball outside an official building in Vatican City.
A vague claim that the singer reportedly kicked the ball around the corridors of the historic setting is currently doing the rounds in tabloids such as Mail Online .
The UK newspaper apparently also found offence in Bieber’s simple, black top and three quarter length pants, despite no official dress code for tourists at the Vatican or significant difference between the singer’s attire or other tourists seen in photos the paper published in an astonishingly coercively damning, over-the-top article .
Two years ago, Justin mistakenly called the Sistine Chapel “the 16th chapel” on The Late Show with David Letterman . A maturer view of the singer’s tour of cultural spots in Rome — which also included the Roman Forum and Colosseum — is that someone prepared to spend 20,000 Euros on a private tour is clearly interested in widening their understanding.
Seemingly in that spirit, the Canadian posted an Instagram picture of himself styled as the Bible’s boy-hero David and the then future king of Israel who defeated the giant Philistine warrior Goliath with just a sling and one of the five stones he carried, before beheading his adversary.
“Where is Goliath ) #wheninrome,” Justin wrote in the snap’s caption on Thursday.
( Photo: The pic shows Bieber dressed in peasant-type garb while holding a sword .)
Meanwhile, after days of speculation about the state of Justin and Selena’s relationship, amid reports the pair broke up over his friendship with the supermodel Kendall Jenner , mutual pal of all three stars Jonathan Cheban recently spoke to Us Weekly magazine.
“The key word is friend,” said the publicist and Keeping Up With the Kardashians regular of Biebs’ relationship with Jenner.
“[Gomez and Bieber] are a great couple,” Cheban adds. “On and off. They give everyone entertainment. I’m friendly with both of them. I like them both.”
He continued, “They’re very cool and this is the best way to do a Hollywood relationship — they’re on for a few months, they break up. Ultimately, if they love each other and they’re kinda like settled down in a year or two, then they’ll reconnect and keep it going.”
“It seems like with the two of them, it’s a forever thing. It does not end. It keeps going and going and I think it’s awesome. They’re a good match.”
( Photo: Bieber and Gomez have split up, but are they a “forever thing?” .)
Us Weekly claims Selena and Justin’s Caribbean holiday in St. Martin last month ended on a bad note when the pop princess allegedly found a text message from Kendall on the Biebs’ cell phone suggesting they hang out at Paris Fashion Week — which was Jelena’s next stop.
“Selena doesn’t trust her motives,” Us Weekly claims an insider said, alluding to the girls’ fall-out back in April at the Coachella Festival. “They fought and split,” said the purported source, adding that Bieber “wants [Gomez] back.”
Meanwhile, bottom-feeder tabloid In Touch Weekly is insinuating Justin and Kendall have been texting and meeting in secret, despite a highly public lunch and numerous previous source statements that the two are pals.
On Friday, his last night in Rome, the heartthrob posted a picture of himself playing the guitar, which suggests he now intends getting back to music after a previously announced one-year sabbatical.
[ Images via Xclusive Pix/OIC / Sportando . ]