This is Justin Bieber at his most vulnerable state, when the singer began epically sobbing on-stage.

The Biebs delivered a spot-on performance of his summer hit, “Where Are U Now,” and his single, “What Do You Mean?” — even flying up into the air at one point — but then he broke down in tears at the end of the set.

Why was Justin Bieber crying at MTV's VMAs? | Globalnews.ca

With no explanation at all, Bieber sobbed into his hands while a stunned crowd looked on. Naturally, all eyes were searching for Bieber’s ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez, who was attending the show alongside her pal Taylor Swift and the “Bad Blood” squad.

So where was Gomez while all this was going down?

Gomez, along with Swift and the “Bad Blood” girls had exited the venue just before Bieber’s set. So the world will never know how she might have reacted to those tears.