Bieber, who was 19 years old at the time, made headlines for renting a Lamborghini and using a residential street as a drag racing track.
A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber)
In an Instagram caption posted seven years to the day after his arrest, Bieber said the incident was "not my finest hour."
"Not proud of where I was at in my life," wrote Bieber. "I was hurting, unhappy, confused, angry, mislead, misunderstood, and angry at god... I also wore too much leather for someone in Miami."
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But Bieber then flipped the narrative into one of encouragement and inspiration.
"All this to say God has brought me a long way," wrote Bieber.
He continued, "From then til now I do realize something...God was as close to me then as he is right now. My encouragement to you is to 'let your past be a reminder of how far God has brought you. Don't allow shame to ruin your "today" let the forgiveness of Jesus take over and watch your life blossom into all that God has designed you to be.
The Instagram post amassed more than seven million likes and an outpouring of support from fellow celebrities like Kevin Hart and his wife, Hailey Bieber.
Bieber pleaded not guilty to reckless driving, took anger management classes, and agreed to make a charitable donation following his arrest, Billboard reported. He avoided jail time.
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A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber)
He opened up about his DUI arrest in 2017 with another Instagram post. The photo was a side-by-side of Bieber's mugshot and a selfie.
"I LOVE THIS because it reminds me IM NOT EXACTLY WHERE I WANT TO BE BUT THANK GOD IM NOT WHERE I USED TO BE!! THE BEST IS YET TO COME DO YOU BELIEVE IT?" he wrote.
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