In a cover story for 'Vogue Italia,' the model shares how she's no longer afraid to express her love publicly.
Hailey Bieber is opening up about her relationship with her husband Justin Bieber. A year after their South Carolina wedding, the 23-year-old model shares how the two are now comfortable with expressing their love for each other publicly and how Justin makes her feel "strong, sexy and tough."
“It was difficult for me to understand how to carry on a relationship like this, experienced under the eyes of all,” Hailey explains, according to a translation of the pair’s interview with the new issue of Vogue Italia, which has the couple gracing the cover. “But there comes a time when you have to embrace reality, and admit who you are.”
“For a long time I couldn't do it: I didn't kiss him in public, I didn't like the idea of people watching us at certain moments,” she continues. “But I realized that it is a battle that in the long run, instead of protecting you, exhausts you. The fact is, we love each other. And there is really nothing to hide.”
Indeed, that love and chemistry is on full display in the cover shot, which shows the couple lying on satin sheets while gazing into each other’s eyes. Hailey dons a seductive black dress, tights and stilettos, while shirtless Justin’s heavily tattooed arm is on full display as it rests on Hailey’s chest.
Across the cover, it reads, “My heart is where my wife is,” a quote by late German/Australian photographer Helmut Newton, who was the inspiration for the shoot.
“His life devotion for his wife June Newton and their creative relationship influenced all aspects of his work,” Vogue Italia captioned the cover shot on Instagram. “To honor their partnership we asked @HaileyBieber and @JustinBieber, one of today's most iconic celebrity couples, to be the protagonists of our cover story.”
To honor Newton’s work, Justin and Hailey posed in a studio for photographer Eli Russell Linnetz, against backdrops of locations linked to the artist, such as the Berlin Wall.
In one shot, Hailey dons a red latex dress by Saint Laurent -- “when I wear [latex] I feel sexy, bold” -- while Justin kneels at her feet.
“Although many still see us as eternal teenagers, Justin in particular. Instead we are a married man and woman, committed, and comfortable with their sexuality,” Hailey tells the magazine. “We are as individuals and consequently we are together. Our chemistry is born from these private and profound awareness.”
“The meaning of these shots translates into the gesture of a man celebrating his woman,” she adds. “There is Justin Bieber, my husband, who puts himself at the service of my femininity and enhances it, giving me a platform to feel strong, sexy and tough. Socially, men have been standing on their pedestal for too many years. It is time for all of this to be subverted.”
Meanwhile, Justin confirmed that he will release a new record “soon."
The cover comes hot on the heels of the couple marking one year since their extravagant wedding ceremony and two years since they officially exchanged rings.
So, might they start a family soon?
“The strange thing is that I've always wanted to have children early, but now that I'm married, I feel less of an urge,” Hailey shares. “I am an ambitious girl with many projects. It will happen, but not now.”
The two indicated they were in no rush to start a family during a virtual PaleyFest LA discussion in August.
"We're still pretty newly married. I mean, we'll celebrate two years in September," Justin said. "We've just been enjoying our time together and getting to know each other deeper."
See more on the couple below.
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