Justin Bieber’s fans were not laughing when he joked about expecting a baby with wife Hailey Baldwin on April Fools’ Day.
On Monday, Bieber teased fans over three Instagram posts. He first posted a sonogram without a caption, then shared photos of Baldwin in a doctor’s office with her belly exposed. “If U thought it was April fools,” Bieber wrote.
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A few moments later, Bieber posted a sonogram showing a puppy inside a womb. “Wait omg is that a,,, APRIL FOOLS,” he wrote in the caption.
Some fans laughed at the joke, but others thought it was cruel to trick them into believing Bieber’s song “Baby” was about to get a new meaning. A few were particularly not happy, feeling it was careless to joke about something others take very seriously.
“That’s a horrible April Fools’ joke people actually struggle with fertility issues like myself that’s not okay!” one person wrote.
“It’s disturbing how many people have found it so funny. You’d think by now we’d all be a little more educated and aware of people’s struggles,” another wrote.
“So not funny! You had me & my girls screaming of happiness!!! Lol,” another added.
“Soooooooooooo sooooo ignorant!!!!! People struggle with losing a child during pregnancy, so many deal with infertility….. only a fool would think this is appropriate to joke about,” another wrote.
Baldwin did not share any April Fools’ Day jokes herself, but she wrote “very funny…” in the comments section for the first sonogram post. She also liked the puppy sonogram post.
The April Fools’ Day joke snafu comes as Bieber continues to seek treatment for his mental health. Earlier this month, he confirmed he was getting help with an emotional Instagram post.
“Just wanted to keep you guys updated a little bit hopefully what I’m going through will resonate with you guys,” Bieber wrote on March 10. “Been struggling a lot. Just feeling super disconnected and weird.”
The singer continued, “I always bounce back so I’m not worried just wanted to reach out and ask for your guys to pray for me. God is faithful and [your] prayers really work thanks .. the most human season I’ve ever been in facing my stuff head on.”
A source recently told PEOPLE Bieber is “addressing things he needs to” amid his health issues.
“For the first time in a long time, he is really addressing the things he needs to address,” the source explained. “And just because he’s not standing on the mountaintop saying, ‘I take this specific medication’ doesn’t mean that he isn’t thoughtfully figuring things out.”
Bieber announced on March 25 that he was focusing on his health and family, which explains why he has not released a new album since 2015’s Purpose.
“I will come with a kick ass album ASAP, my swag is undeniable and my drive is indescribable his love is supernatural his grace is that reliable…. the top is where I reside period whether I make music or not the king said so,” he wrote on Instagram. “But I will come with a vengeance believe that.”
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