I didn't have Justin Bieber telling a doctor to "fuck off" on my 2020 bingo card, yet here we are.
It all started when the "Love Yourself" singer shared a message on Instagram, writing, "If you are feeling anxious or depressed a lot of it has to do with our diet! Try changing up your diet! It has helped me so much!!!"
Immediately, his post was met with backlash from people who felt the advice was misleading for those dealing with anxiety and depression:
"Lmao food don't cure panick [sic] attacks," one user wrote.
"Just ate an apple now my depression is cured, thanks Justin!" another added.
"People without medical degrees should not be giving medical advice," this user wrote.
Fortunately, Dr. Joshua Wolrich, a British surgical doctor who hosts a podcast titled Cut Through Nutrition, did happen to see Justin's post and challenged the 26-year-old about spreading information that could potentially harm his fans.
"Food is many, many things but it's not medicine," he wrote. That's not to say it isn't important — it provides us with nutrition and energy to thrive, but it has its limitations. Anxiety and depression [are] very rarely a result of food intake. Mental health is complex and boiling [it] down to the privilege of food choices is incorrect and stigmatising for those who struggle with it on a daily basis."
He continued: "For any of you who read this and felt a sense of guilt that if only you changed your food you wouldn't struggle with mental health… please know that's not accurate. You are doing a fantastic job — do not compare yourself to a celebrity with all the capacity for change and privilege in the world x."
Well, apparently Justin didn't like that too much and posted a screenshot of Dr. Wolrich's comment on his Instagram stories, writing, "Bro litterally [sic] fuck off lol".
In a follow-up video, Wolrich doubled down on his original statement, saying, "Food can't cure cancer, and people that go on juicing diets to try and cure their leukemia die. We know that. When you say 'food is medicine' you're also propagating that."
This man — excuse me — doctor, came prepared with facts and I have to stan.
Dr. Wolrich reportedly spoke with the Biebs privately after posting the video and the singer edited his original caption — albeit with a very subtle change:
