On January 27, Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber were spotted leaving Funke restaurant in L.A. following a quiet dinner date. They were photographed holding hands, but the expressions on their faces were far from happy.

Days later, Justin posted photos on Instagram that appeared to be from the same night; in them, he and Hailey are smiling and kissing. (“We’re cute,” Hailey herself wrote in the comments). Fans were quick to allege that Justin put up the pictures in response to recent rumors that the couple of five years are ready to call it quits.

They may be onto something. A source tells In Touch, Hailey, 27, has reached her breaking point with the 29-year-old “Stay” singer. “Justin is clingy and he relies on her so much for his emotional and psychological wellbeing,” reveals the source. “There are times Hailey just wants to end it so she can be on her own again.” Between fighting over old loves and past bad behavior and quibbling over when to have kids, adds the source, “they’ve had a lot of ups and downs. Friends are surprised they’ve lasted this long.”

Never Easy

The two wed in September 2018 after a whirlwind three-month romance. (They had also briefly dated in late 2015). Hailey admitted they were both “insanely young” and has since been open about the challenges they’ve faced.

“Marriage is very hard,” she told Vogue a few months after they said “I do” at a NYC courthouse. “That is the sentence you should lead with. It’s really effing hard.” In 2022, she told Harper’s Bazaar their union takes “a lot of work to make it work.

The source says neither really knew what they were getting into, but Hailey has matured more than Justin. “Hailey’s grown into a strong individual,” the source says. “As a model, she’s learned how to deal with stress, whereas Justin has been babied his whole life. Hailey sees him as an immature kid at times.”

Their marriage was further tested in 2022 when they both experienced serious health scares — she had a ministroke and Justin was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

The illnesses took a toll. “Justin’s always relied on Hailey to bolster him up whenever he needed it, which was most of the time, and she couldn’t do that because she had to look after herself. It made her realize how one-sided their relationship was,” explains the source.

No Escape

Justin’s bad-boy past is another point of contention. In 2013, he was caught on video urinating into a mop bucket in a NYC restaurant; the following year he was charged with misdemeanor vandalism after he allegedly threw eggs at his neighbor’s home in Calabasas, California (he was later ordered to attend anger management classes and pay $80,000 in restitution). In 2016, he punched an overeager fan in the face while in Spain.

“Justin’s sorry for some of the shocking things he’s done,” says the source. “He blames it on attaining fame at such a young age. Plus, he was surrounded by a lot of ‘yes’ people. Still, the image of him as an egg-throwing brat has stuck, which is frustrating.”

He also earned himself a reputation as a bit of a love rat. “He had a lot of flings when he was younger, and was the love-’em-and-leave-’em type,” says the source, adding that the “Sorry” singer had his entourage “handle” the women.

“Hailey doesn’t like to be reminded of this,” adds the source, noting that they’ve had some nasty fights over other women. “It’s a touchy subject that sometimes rears its ugly head during arguments.”

His eight-year, on-off relationship with ex Selena Gomez is another sore spot. “It bugs Hailey that Selena got there first, and that Justin went back to Selena when they initially broke up,” says the source.”For a long time, Hailey thought she was second choice.”

Different Pages

There are whispers that Hailey is already “checked out” of the relationship — and that she wants to get out now so she still has time to start over. She reportedly engaged in an emotional affair last spring with a male pal (who is also friends with Justin). “She swears it’s not romantic, but straddles the line of what’s appropriate in a marriage,” an insider said at the time.

Then there’s the issue of kids. As long ago as 2019, Justin said he wanted babies ASAP. He later admitted to Ellen DeGeneres Hailey “wasn’t ready yet.” (He said his wife “still has some things she wants to accomplish as a woman.”) The source says Justin is getting anxious. “He wants to be a young dad. But Hailey isn’t sure Justin has the maturity to deal with parenthood just yet and she doesn’t want to be left doing all the work because he’s too immature.”

Rough Road Ahead

Divorce talk could turn ugly — the source says Justin and Hailey don’t have a prenup. While she’s worth an estimated $20 million, he’s said to be worth $300 million. Dividing their assets could lead to some nasty fights.

“Even if they split amicably, all the best intentions could fall away when they start talking about money and who gets what,” says the source. Hailey will do her best to avoid that fate. “She really doesn’t want to throw in the towel on her marriage,” says the source. “She’s not a quitter and she’s willing to put in the effort.” Pals are hoping Justin can clean up his act before it’s too late. Says the source: “He can’t imagine his life without Hailey.”