Donnie Wahlberg weigh in on Justin Bieber’s rough few weeks

By Carly MagaGetty Images

At the ripe old age of 19, Justin Bieber seems to be experiencing signs of old age – for a pop star, that is. And according to those who have experienced it before him, teen popstardom can be a rough road.

"Justin Bieber's making mistakes that everyone makes and he's probably trying things and exploring things that most kids his age explore, but the problem is he's got 50 paparazzi chasing him around when he does it," 43-year-old Donnie Wahlberg told the Associated Press this week. Wahlberg was only 14 when New Kids on the Block formed in the mid-1980s, the same age Bieber was when he was discovered by Usher and his manager Scooter Braun.
Wahlberg continued: "When we are 19 and 20, we think we can take on the world and we do forget that there is a lot of life left to live in front of us, and hopefully he'll get through these times and find his way into a long career and a healthy adulthood."
“These times” Wahlberg refers to are the series of unfortunate events (and press) to befall Bieber recently. This, of course, includes being caught with marijuana, showing up two hours late to a concert in London, fainting backstage and going to the hospital, attacking paparazzi, and posting an Instagram rant about refusing to go to rehab. Then, his ex-girlfriend dissed him on national television. Yup, it looks like “these times” are tough for Bieber, who has been relaxing while seeing the sights in Paris and skiing in the Swiss Alps recently.

source: http://ca.omg.yahoo.com/blogs/north-stars/donnie-wahlberg-nick-carter-weigh-justin-bieber-rough-173558573.html

Donnie Wahlberg, who was just 14 when New Kids on the Block debuted on the music scene in the late 1980s to wild fan craze, said he remembers the pressure and hard times that came with being a teen celebrity.

"Justin Bieber's making mistakes that everyone makes and he's probably trying things and exploring things that most kids his age explore, but the problem is he's got 50 paparazzi chasing him around when he does it," 43-year-old Wahlberg said. "When we are 19 and 20, we think we can take on the world and we do forget that there is a lot of life left to live in front of us, and hopefully he'll get through these times and find his way into a long career and a healthy adulthood."