Justin Bieber views his upcoming Comedy Central roast as “therapy,” and is set to make a public declaration in which he fesses up to his mistakes, tells the world he has worked out his issues and has now changed for the better.
Traditionally, at the annual, televised roast, the roastee makes a closing speech.
And it seems Bieber’s will be a mea culpa, in which he publicly acknowledges his missteps and intention to move past them into adulthood. The event will be taped on March 7, which is six days after his 21st birthday.
That’s what TMZ are reporting, and it is in line with the self-work program the singer began last October.
Hot on the heels of his split with former girlfriend Selena Gomez, the 20-year-old was seen at the New Jersey home of longtime friend, Pastor Carl Lentz of Hillsong’s NYC Church for about two weeks.
During that period, the New York Post and other media outlets reported sightings of Bieber attending near-daily church services or bible study meetings. The Inquisitr broke the news that the singer told fans during an online exchange in early November that he had stopped using weed and was “making a change” in his life.
As announced on Tuesday by Ryan Seacrest, then a Comedy Central press release , the “Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber” will tape in Los Angeles on an as yet unspecified air date with unnamed roasters.
“Justin has been asking us for a few years to roast him, and we just kept telling him to go create more source material first. We’re thrilled he listened,” Kent Alterman, President of Content Development and Original Programming at Comedy Central said in the release.
The network subsequently revealed Bieber’s roasting will “fair game. No holds barred /no strings attached.”
In tweets that followed those announcements, the Canadian superstar also said his roast is something he has been requesting for a while to mark his 21st.
For years I have wanted Comedy Central to roast me. They said only if I provided them w/ more material so for a year now I have worked hard
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) January 20, 2015
Finally after all that hard work for my 21st bday it’s happening. Thanks @RyanSeacrest & @ComedyCentral for the announcement. Let’s do it ?
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) January 20, 2015
Bieber’s roast therapy will no doubt cover infamous items such as urinating in a restaurant kitchen mop bucket, monkey shenanigans, his Anne Frank guestbook note, convictions for reckless driving and vandalism, arrests for alleged assaults, and more.
It appears the singer knows he needs to make some sort of self-aware, public statement before he will be allowed to move on to the next chapter of his life by those who narrate it, and the general public.
You can hear cynics in the media powering up their laptops now. But, as mentioned a few paragraphs above, the Biebs’ seemingly authentic, self-improvement efforts have been in evidence for at least four months.
According to TMZ , Los Angeles-based sources reveal the singer is “polite again, respectful and extremely generous.” One adds, “The person I knew is back.” The website reports, the Biebs bought dinner and thanked two guys who moved to the bar at the Mozza restaurant in L.A on Sunday night, so that he could have a table in the full eatery.
The day before, a Yahoo editor tweeted about her experience of the star’s generosity. As it turns out, Bieber picked up the tab for strangers he sat next to in a pizzeria, which set off a chain reaction and prompted the strangers to do the same for others at the joint.
Saw @justinbieber at a pizzeria. When he left he picked up the tab for strangers sitting next to him. Good Guy Justin Bieber.
— Kwala Mandel (@kwalamandel) January 19, 2015
@justinbieber You created a chain reaction! Those guys turned around, picked up the tab for two others. Paid it forward ?
— Kwala Mandel (@kwalamandel) January 19, 2015
Of course, Bieber’s fans are aware his charitable give back contribution efforts extend far beyond pizzas , and over many years.
Bieber’s Comedy Central roast cometh.
[Image via The Hollywood Reporter ]