Justin Bieber took to Instagram on Friday to explain the “pretty serious virus” that has paralyzed half of his face and caused the cancelation of shows in Toronto and D.C. earlier this week. In a two-and-a-half-minute post, he explained and demonstrated that he is suffering from Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare virus that affects nerves in the face and can cause facial paralysis.
As if to prove that he is genuinely ill, he shows quite clearly in the video: “As you can see, this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move. So there’s full paralysis on the side of my face.
“So for those who are frustrated by my cancellations of the next shows, I’m just physically, obviously not capable of doing them. This is pretty serious. As you can see.”