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Justin Bieber’s mom, Pattie Mallette, is on a mission with a new teen edition of her memoir, N owhere But Up (Revell).
It’s a resource for young people in crisis, as she was once.
Mallette, who gave birth to Bieber when she was just 18 in Canada, hopes by sharing her story she can offer help and healing.
“I have more than 2 million followers on Twitter who call me Mom,” said Mallette, who will be doing two local book signings Friday. “I want to send the message of ‘Hey, If I can do it, you can do it.’ ”
The 38-year-old won’t touch upon her own son’s recent struggles.
While they communicate regularly, Mallette would only say he’s happy his mother is putting herself out there with her book, even writing the foreword (e.g., “My mom is the strongest woman I’ve ever met”).
“He’s supportive and says he is really proud of me. He really believes this is a story that needs to be heard,” said Mallette.
The feeling is mutual.
“Yes, I’m amazed and so proud of him. Songwise, I love a song he wrote called Turn to You for Mother’s Day, released last year. It’s beautiful,” she said. “I love the way he gives back, the way he visits sick kids and uses his platform for good.”
The two are close, because they’re close in age.
“Some people think I’m his sister or at least they tell me they do. I’ll take it!” said Mallette, who remains amicable with Justin’s biological father, Jeremy Bieber, who still lives in Canada. “I’d love to find someone and get married and have another child.”
Being a parent of a teenager is one of the hardest jobs out there. Try doing it with a pop star with millions upon millions of fans and the world watching his every move.
That said, would she advise other parents to enter their children into showbiz?
“We didn’t go looking for all of this. He just went to a local singing competition and put his videos on YouTube and the whole thing kind of spiraled and opened doors. Then I was just careful that we had good representation and good people around us. We took it one day at a time.”
Mallette’s signings: Noon Friday, Books and Books Lincoln Road, 305-532-3222; 3 p.m. Barnes & Noble, Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 954-561-3732.
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