Justin Bieber Goings and Adulthood a Messy Mess

Justin Bieber has been a household name since before he was old enough to drive. We listened as his voice changed and watched him trade in his purple hoodies and signature swoopy hair for low-riding pants and a more voluminous ‘do.

The 19-year-old pop star is one of many celebrities who've grown up under the proverbial microscope, where the simplest rites of passage -- like grabbing your girlfriend's backside during a passionate make-out session -- are headline fodder.

It's nothing we haven't seen before. Stars like Christina Aguilera and Shia LaBeouf would likely agree that the transition from teen sensation to adult icon is seldom seamless.

For whatever reason, Bieber might have considered himself to be an exception.

"I think I'll make a smooth transition from a teen star to an adult star," he told USA Today in 2011. "I don't want to grow up too quickly and do anything that's not smart."

Two years later, 2013 is shaping up to be that fateful time in the Canadian-born star's career.

In January he was seen holding what sites identified as marijuana in one photograph, while another showed him getting handsy with a female fan. Earlier this month, Bieber had his "worst birthday," and angered fans when he was late to the stage for a sold-out show at London's O2 Arena.

The most recent Bieber news isn't any more flattering. According to authorities, the singer's neighbor is accusing him of "battery and threats" after a confrontation took place outside his California home on Tuesday.

As The New York Times pointed out after the "Girlfriend" singer's 18th birthday last year, "Mr. Bieber can be his own man, sure, so long as he continues to belong to everyone else too."

Despite rejecting comparisons to Justin Timberlake, Bieber would be lucky to moonwalk into adulthood the way the "Suit & Tie" singer has. Of course, Timberlake had the support of his boy band 'N Sync behind him when he made the leap. It also helped that there were other male stars around, like the Backstreet Boys, helping to dim the harsh limelight.

Bieber doesn't exactly have a counterpart today. While "Twilight" stars Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson, or "Hunger Games" stars Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson, have distracted the media -- and countless tween fans -- Bieber remains in a league of his own.

cnn.com source