A Celebration of Women™

is elated to Celebrate the Life of this Canadian woman, one that has risen above extreme circumstance to rise up into living a life that has focus on the bettering of the lives of young women around the globe. Being a teen mother herself, this awakened soul is now working to help with awareness and solutions to the epidemic crisis our world faces with ‘Teen-aged Pregnancy”, and is working now to support pregnancy crisis centers worldwide.

About a short film she produced, this woman says: “I want ‘Crescendo’ to encourage young women all over the world, just like me, to let them know that there is a place to go, people who will take care of you and a safe home to live in if you are pregnant and think you have nowhere else to turn.”

 
 
 
 

WOMAN of ACTION™

 

 

Pattie Mallette

 

 
 
Pattie Mallette was born on April 2, 1976, in Stratford, Ontario, of French Canadian descent to Michael and Diane M. (née Henry) Mallette. She has one sibling, her older brother Chris. Their older sister was killed at age five, when she was struck by a vehicle while crossing the street. Mallette’s parents divorced when she was two years old. In 1981, her mother married Bruce Dale. Mallette welcomed her stepfather’s older children when they came to live with her family after the wedding.

In her 2012 autobiography, Mallette recalls her earliest memories, which center around an alcoholic and abusive father, who left the family when she was two years old.

“When my dad left us, it ripped a hole in my heart—one that began filling with thoughts and feelings that would challenge and ultimately damage my identity and self-worth. The wound of being abandoned travels deep and forever changes you“, she has written.

When she was nine years old, she was unexpectedly reunited with her father. While initially apprehensive, Mallette and her brother went out to dinner and the mall that night with their father, making promises to keep in touch. Just a few months after their visit, Mallette’s brother made plans to spend the summer with his father, but the senior Mallette died of a heart attack the night before her brother was to travel to his home in nearby Timmins, Ontario.

The loss of her father left Mallette with a sense of emptiness throughout her life. She has described her family as “nonpracticing Catholics. We never went to mass. Sundays weren’t reserved for church“, but she began to attend a local church with a childhood friend. She enjoyed the Sunday School classes, where she sang songs and participated in various activities. When she was five years old, she was invited by one of the teachers to “ask Jesus into her heart“, to which she responded enthusiastically.

Mallette’s childhood was dominated by sexual abuse and violence. She was allegedly first molested around the age of three. Her offenders include a (male) babysitter, the grandfather of one of her friends, and neighborhood children reportedly mature beyond their years.

Her book describes sexual abuse continuing until the age of 14, followed by an incident of date rape at age 15.

She says of the sexual abuse and violence, “I was sexually violated so many times that as the years went by it began to feel normal. It’s a strange marriage – knowing something is wrong yet at the same time finding it familiar and commonplace.”

As a child, Mallette showed an interest in acting and singing. When she was nine years old, she began appearing on local television programs, including Romper Room and Big Top Talent, a locally televised, children’s talent show, hosted by Corey Mystyshyn. When she was ten years old, she was cast in two theatrical productions in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, which brings over half a million tourists to the town every year. Throughout middle school and high school, she took every drama and choir class available, along with seven years of dancing.

After earning numerous trophies and awards for her singing and acting, she was signed to a Toronto-based talent agent.

When auditions required her to travel one-and-a-half hours to Toronto every weekend, her parents were unable to make the commitment, which left Mallette devastated.

When she was 14 years old, she began experimenting with drugs, including alcohol, marijuana and LSD.

It’s a view also shared by NY opioid treatment programs and many other groups that work hard to counter the impact of opioid abuse in the United States.

She would have needed rehabs for drug addiction by then, but her situation only got worse.

She also started shoplifting. When she vandalized school property by starting a fire in a bathroom, she was suspended from school. When she was 15 years old, she began a relationship with Jeremy Bieber, which lasted for four years.

She left home when she was 16, supporting herself through petty theft and drug dealing. During this time, she experienced loneliness, depression, and suicidal ideation. When she was 17 years old, she attempted suicide by throwing herself in front of a truck, which led to a stint in a mental ward. While there, she embraced Christianity.

Following her release from the hospital, Mallette rekindled friendships that failed to support her new-found faith. She also returned to her former relationship with Bieber.

Six months later, she became pregnant.

At that time, she moved into a home for unwed mothers.

In a September 2012 interview on the Today Show, Mallette spoke about teenage pregnancy and her personal struggle as a young unwed mother.

While she was pregnant, many of those around her tried to talk her into getting an abortion, but she refused.

Mallette gave birth to her son, Justin, on March 1, 1994, in London, Ontario at the age of just 17.

While Mallette and Jeremy Bieber initially maintained a relationship after the birth of their son, they split up after ten months.

Mallette raised her son in Stratford, with the help of her mother and stepfather.

Bieber was a hands-on father, but he went on to marry, with his new wife giving birth to two children.

As a single mother, Mallette worked part-time jobs, while raising her son on government assistance in low-income housing. She never graduated with her high school class, but a neighbor provided a year of free daycare for Justin, so Mallette could return to school to earn her diploma. As a recipient of a scholarship, she continued to college, where she studied web design.

Mallette encouraged her son’s talent, after he began showing an interest in music at the age of two. By age four, he taught himself to play the drums.

Through the guidance of the church worship team, he continued to develop his drumming skills, while also learning to play the guitar, piano, and trumpet. When her son was six years old, he began performing on the street in front of the Avon Theatre in Stratford, earning $3,000, which he used to take a vacation to Disneyworld in Florida.
 

 
In 2007, she entered Justin in the local “Stratford Star” talent show, where he sang Ne-Yo’s song, “So Sick“, finishing second in the competition. Mallette posted a video of the performance on YouTube for their family and friends to see. With each subsequent performance, Mallette uploaded a video to the Internet, so that family members who lived far away could see her son’s progress.
 

Pattie Mallette: true that she has more to her credit than just being Justin Bieber’s mom 🙂

 

As Mallette continued to upload videos, her son’s popularity on the Internet grew. Chris Hicks, Bieber’s A&R at Island/Def Jam, explained Bieber’s huge online following to HitQuarters, stating:
“He was doing something different. He was an attractive white kid singing very soulful R&B hits. That set him apart immediately from anyone in his range because no one was covering or singing these kind of records. But equally important was that you believed in these songs–it was real. And you wanted to hear more.”

 
In September 2012, her autobiography, Nowhere but Up was published by Christian book publisher, Revell. During the first week of release, it was listed at No. 17 on the New York Times Best Seller list. The book has received international press and has been reviewed by media outlets around the world.

“I’m Pattie Mallette, and yes, much of the world knows me as Justin Bieber’s mom. But now that I have written my first book, Nowhere but Up, I hope you come to know me in a different way.

My story to this point includes plenty of pain and heartache, but along the way I found hope and healing. I can’t wait for you to read my book and share this road with me. Let me know what you think on twitter @PattieMallette or write a review at any online retailer. You are so precious and loved.” Pattie

Pattie Mallette’s new memoir Nowhere But Up is an unflinching document of a difficult life, chronicling how the 37-year-old endured sexual abuse, a teenage pregnancy and a deep depression that triggered suicidal impulses.

It’s not an easy read for anyone, but Mallette says it was particularly difficult for her son, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber.

“It’s his mom going through this pain,” Mallette said during an interview this week. “It’s hard for him to look at that pain. But he also wants to see people’s lives change, and he sees the bigger picture.”

“He supports me in what I’m doing.”

And while it was hard for Bieber to read the new memoir (the 18-year-old also penned its foreward), it was just as difficult for Mallette to re-open wounds from decades ago.

Like her pop prodigy of a son, Mallette grew up in a blue-collar family in Stratford, Ont. Even before Mallette was born, her family faced tragedy — her sister, Sally, was hit by a car and killed upon impact when she was five years old. [Read more – National Post ]

 

 
 

In 2012, Mallette began working as executive producer of a short film, Crescendo, starring Ali Landry, and written and directed by Alonso Alvarez. Proceeds from the film will support crisis pregnancy centers worldwide.

Commenting on the film, scheduled to be released on February 28, 2013, Mallette stated:

“[I want Crescendo to] encourage young women all over the world, just like me, to let them know that there is a place to go, people who will take care of you and a safe home to live in if you are pregnant and think you have nowhere else to turn.”

 

 

For more information and to book your own event, go to www.cpcmovie.com

Television appearances
2011: Biebermania! (documentary) – as herself
2011: Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (documentary) – as herself
2012: Today Show (television series) – as herself
2012: Weekend Today (television series) – as herself
2012: Huckabee (television series) – as herself
2012: The Hour (television series) – as herself
 

 
Pattie Mallette Verified account @pattiemallette

Pattie Mallette – Facebook

Pattie’s Website – Nowhere But Up

On February 28th, Crescendo, a short film that has been globally heralded and has won over 11 international awards, was screened at 100 events across America! 1,000 total events will place in 2013.http://www.cpcmovie.com/

Here’s your chance to WIN a copy of my new book No Where But Up – Teen Edition. Go to http://JoshShipp.com/up for more details.

 

 
 
 
 

A Celebration of Women™

welcomes this woman into our global alumni with open arms, and look forward to many collaboration bettering the lives of ‘Teen Moms’ worldwide.

 

 

Brava Pattie!