Justin Bieber’s set in Italy on Sunday marked his first live performance since June 5. (Photo: via Associated Press)
Justin Bieber performed Sunday for the first time since being diagnosed in June with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which paralyzed half of his face, according to Yahoo. He took the stage at the Lucca Summer Festival in Italy to audible cheers and online praise from his wife, Hailey Bieber.
“One thing I know for sure is you can’t hold this guy down,” she wrote in an Instagram Story over footage of the 28-year-old singing “Holy.”
The singer announced his condition in an Instagram video on June 10 and explained that it affected his ear and facial nerves. He then canceled the rest of his North American “Justice World Tour” dates, according to Uproxx. Bieber, however, kept the Lucca show on his books and emerged as promised.
“It’s my first day back,” Bieber told the crowd. “It’s so good to be here. As some of you know, the “Justice Tour” is about equality, it’s about justice for everyone, no matter what you look like, no matter your shape, size, ethnicity. We are all the same, we are all one.
The Grammy winner then opened up about racism before thanking his fans.
“We know racism is bad and we know division is bad, it’s wrong,” Bieber added. “But we are here to make a difference. I want to thank each and every one of you for being on this tour.
Bieber’s initial revelation that he had Ramsay Hunt Syndrome marked the first time many people had heard of the disease. The name itself was searched on Google more than 5 million times on June 10, according to the AMP agency.
Ramsay Hunt is usually caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox and shingles and usually occurs in people over 60, according to Mount Sinai. Bieber didn’t take the diagnosis lightly and assured fans that he was doing facial exercises and following his doctors’ orders.
“Obviously my body is telling me I need to slow down,” Bieber said in the Instagram video. “It’s going to get back to normal. Just in time and we don’t know how long it will take, but it will. And I have hope, and I trust God, that it’s all for a reason.
Bieber was fortunate to have suffered a relatively minor infection with the Ramsay Hunt syndrome virus, as severe damage to the nerves in question can prevent patients from fully recovering even after months of treatment, according to Mount Sinai.
His partial paralysis came months after Hailey Bieber suffered a mini-stroke in March. She revealed on “Good Morning America” days after her husband’s diagnosis that their health was scary and the healing processes had brought them closer together.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.