Hailey Baldwin’s Cousin Ireland Says Justin Bieber Marriage Was ‘a Long Time Coming’

Earlier this summer, presumably to help explain why Justin Bieber decided to propose to Hailey Baldwin just one month after beginning to date her again, TMZ reported that the two had actually secretly been on-off for years. Ireland Baldwin, Hailey’s cousin (and probable bridesmaid, though she doesn’t know if that’s happening), is now making the same point in an interview about the same thing.

First off, she has no clue whether they are civilly married (like her dad Alec Bladwin said and People reported) or engaged with a marriage license (like TMZ reported). Rather, if she does know, she doesn’t want to say it publicly just yet. “I have no idea what their situation is, what’s going on,” she told Entertainment Tonight at the iHeartRadio Festival. “I think they’re just taking things slow. They’re just kissing all over the world.” She also generally advised people not to read too much into reported details and let Jailey make out in peace. “They’re looking too hard. Just let them kiss!” she said.

But Ireland then explained that the two seemed destined to be together given their history. “It was meant to be a long time ago,” Ireland said. “It was just a long time coming. And we’re all like, ‘all right, thank god. Let’s move forward now. Whoo!’ They’re so in love, and they really do a lot of good for each other. And that’s the most important thing for me, that he makes her so happy and so connected.”

In the case of this love affair, the journey was key, Ireland said. “I just think they’ve gone through a lot of trial and error as individuals and together and I think that really what stands and holds a relationship and really proves its worth and that it’s meant to be. And they’ve proved it, I think.”

“You know, they just bring out the good in each other, they really do,” she continued. “And I think they do a really good job of checking each other when one desperately needs to be checked and told you’re out of line. I think that they really, really do care about each other so much and care about others and what their families think of them. They’re a very respectable couple.”