Madison Beer is speaking out about the harsh realities of early fame, revealing how major record labels once hailed her as the “female Justin Bieber”—only to abandon her when she didn’t meet unrealistic expectations.

In a powerful Cosmopolitan cover story, the now 26-year-old singer recalled being signed to Island Records at just 12 years old. Industry insiders promised her stardom, saying: “You’re going to be the female Justin Bieber, give it a year.” But when her rise didn’t mirror Bieber’s meteoric success, everything changed. By 16, she had been dropped by her label, her manager Scooter Braun, and her lawyer—losing everything in a single day.

“Everything in my life went away within 12 hours,” Beer revealed.

The comparison to Bieber was superficial at best, according to Beer. “It was mostly because Scooter had signed me too, and Justin had posted a cover of mine. But he was still just a teenager then, and we were both figuring life out.”

Despite the professional fallout, Beer remains close with both Justin and Hailey Bieber. “I love them very much,” she said. “We’ve known each other since we were kids. It’s wild that they’re married now and having a baby.”

What truly hurt, Beer explained, was how the industry disregarded her well-being and development.

“My label just said, ‘Good luck.’ I gave up my childhood, my education, my friendships—my family even moved to L.A. for this,” she said. “I was left with nothing.”

Beer also shared the disturbing conversations that happened behind closed doors. At only 14, she was told she was “too sexy” to market—but too young to be sexualized. “These were grown men talking about my body. I was a child.”

The betrayal cut deep. “They were people I thought cared about me,” Beer said. “But to them, I was just a dollar sign. When I didn’t make enough money, I didn’t matter anymore.”

Despite the trauma, Beer has found her voice again. Her 2023 album Silence Between Songs—released under Epic Records—earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Pop Recording for “Make You Mine.” She followed it with a sold-out 63-date headlining tour in 2024.

Now, as she meets young fans, the weight of her own experience hits harder. “When 12-year-olds come to meet me, I think: There’s no way I should’ve been signed at that age. It’s terrifying,” she said. “The industry didn’t care about my childhood, and that’s sickening.”