Madison Beer opens up about being dropped by label after early Justin Bieber comparisons

Madison Beer opens up about being signed young, dropped at 16, and the impact of early industry pressures on her life.

Madison Beer is reflecting on the challenges she faced early in her career after being compared to Justin Bieber.

In a recent Cosmopolitan cover story, Beer, now 26, shared how being signed to Island Records at just 12 years old quickly turned into a difficult experience.

Industry executives had labeled her the "female Justin Bieber," promising rapid fame. However, when Beer didn’t immediately achieve massive success, she was dropped by her label, lawyer, and then-manager Scooter Braun by the age of 16. "Everything in my life went away within 12 hours," she recalled.

Beer explained that the Bieber comparison was largely circumstantial — both were discovered after posting covers online and were signed by Braun. "Justin was only a teenager himself when I got signed," she noted. Despite the professional fallout, Beer remains close with both Justin and Hailey Bieber, saying, "We’ve known each other for so long."

Reflecting on the emotional impact, Beer said the industry took crucial developmental years from her. "My whole family uprooted and moved to Los Angeles with no connections. I have no friends," she shared. "You stole years of my childhood, and now it’s just ‘good luck’?"

Beer also described the inappropriate conversations she overheard as a young teen, with executives discussing her image at just 14 years old. "Grown men were talking about how I was 'too sexy' and how they would have to wait," she revealed.

Today, Beer continues to build her career independently while reflecting on the industry pressures she endured at a young age.