Justin Bieber hinted he might marry Hailey Baldwin two years ago

UPDATE: He called it! Two years before Justin Bieber popped the question to Hailey Baldwin, he opened up about the possibility in an interview with GQ. “What if Hailey ends up being the girl I’m gonna marry, right? If I rush into anything, if I damage her, then it’s always gonna be damaged,” he said in March 2016. “It’s really hard to fix wounds like that. It’s so hard. … I just don’t want to hurt her.”

ORIGINAL STORY: Even in the case of Justin Bieber, never say never. GQ released its entire March 2016 cover story with the pop superstar on Thursday, February 11, and he revealed his many takeaways from his relationship with Selena Gomez, and how he’s applying those lessons to his fledgling new romance with Hailey Baldwin. Click here to see more hot photos of Bieber and Baldwin.

The “Sorry” crooner, 21, admitted that his breakup from Gomez — they were on-again, off-again for three years — was “bad.” Bieber also noted that “a lot” of his new album, Purpose, was inspired by the former Disney actress, 23.

Justin Bieber for GQ
Eric Ray Davidson/GQ

“We don’t talk often, but we’re cordial,” Bieber told the mag of their current friendship. “If she needs something, I’m there for her. If I need something, she’s there for me.” (Indeed, Bieber also told Us Weekly in an exclusive November 2015 interview that they are “homeys.”)

After Gomez, Bieber learned to be practical about relationships. Though he would “love” to get married eventually, he says, he does not plan to settle down at the moment.

“I don’t want to put anyone in a position where they feel like I’m only theirs, only to be hurt in the end,” he said openly. “Right now in my life, I don’t want to be held down by anything. I already have a lot that I have to commit to. A lot of responsibilities. I don’t want to feel like the girl I love is an added responsibility.”

Justin Bieber for GQ
Eric Ray Davidson/GQ

At the moment, that girl is none other than model Baldwin, 19, whom he described as “someone I really love” to GQ. “I know that in the past I’ve hurt people and said things that I didn’t mean to make them happy in the moment. So now I’m just more so looking at the future, making sure I’m not damaging them,” he reflected to the mag. “What if Hailey ends up being the girl I’m gonna marry, right? If I rush into anything, if I damage her, then it’s always gonna be damaged. It’s really hard to fix wounds like that. It’s so hard. … I just don’t want to hurt her.”

The two have a complicated but relatable dynamic: They’re close friends who like to make out, and they even post about it on social media. In early January, Bieber shared a photo of himself mid-makeout with Stephen Baldwin’s daughter during a steamy getaway to Anguilla. Sources told Us Weekly that Baldwin, who was upset about Bieber’s hookup with 36-year-old Kourtney Kardashian, convinced the notorious playboy to be monogamous at the time.

Justin Bieber for GQ
Eric Ray Davidson/GQ

Ultimately, despite his high-profile relationships, Bieber said none was more important than his bond with God. “I’ve had people that burned me so many times,” Bieber told GQ. “If we invest everything we have in a human, we’re gonna get broken.”

“I feel like that’s why I have a relationship with Him, because I need it. I suck by myself,” he continued. “Like, when I’m by myself and I feel like I have nothing to lean on? Terrible. Terrible person. If I was doing this on my own, I would constantly be doing things that are, I mean, I still am doing things that are stupid, but … It just gives me some sort of hope and something to grasp onto, and a feeling of security, and a feeling of being wanted, and a feeling of being desired, and I feel like we can only get so much of that from a human.”

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