Singer Justin Bieber has cancelled upcoming shows after half his face was left paralysed by Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
In a video posted on Instagram, Mr Bieber apologised for disappointing fans but said he was simply not well enough to perform:
“This virus that attacks the nerve in my ear in my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,” he said.
“As you can see, this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move, so there’s full paralysis on this side of my face.”
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a rare neurological condition that is triggered by the varicella zoster virus. It mostly affects older people and leaves parts of a person's face unable to move as normal.
Ear and facial pain are also common among sufferers.
Mr Bieber was in the middle of the North American leg of his Justice tour and shows in Toronto, Washington DC and New York have been called off.
He has since been doing facial exercises and hopes to resume work soon.
“So for those who are frustrated by my cancellations of the next shows, I’m just physically, obviously not able of doing them,” he explained.
“This is pretty serious as you can see.
“I wish this wasn’t the case but obviously my body is telling me I gotta slow down.
“I hope you guys understand, and I’ll be using this time to just rest and relax and get back to 100% so I can do what I was born to do. But in the meantime, this ain’t it.
“We don’t know how much time it is going to be but it’s going to be OK, I have hope and I trust God. I trust it is all for a reason. I’m not sure what that is right now but in the meantime I am going to rest.”
Main image: Singer Justin Bieber performs on stage during 'An Acoustic Evening With Justin Bieber' at The Danforth Music Hall on December 7, 2015 in Toronto, Canada.
