Justin Timberlake has addressed his fans for the first time since his recent DWI arrest in the Hamptons, acknowledging the incident that happened during his ‘Forget Tomorrow’ world tour at Chicago’s United Center.
“It’s been a tough week,” the 43-year-old Grammy winner admitted to the crowd.
“I know sometimes I’m hard to love, but you keep loving me, too,” Timberlake said as the audience cheered and expressed their gratitude.
Timberlake charged with DWI
Timberlake’s legal troubles began when he was arrested after allegedly drinking a $21 James Bond’s famous Vesper Martini at the American Hotel in the Hamptons, where he was “having dinner with his friends.” He then left in a 2025 BMW, after which he was arrested for allegedly violating a stop sign and failing to stay in his lane, according to court documents.
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During the incident, which occurred around 12:15 a.m., Timberlake was charged with DWI as well as a traffic violation. The arresting officer was so “young” that he “didn’t recognize” the star, leading to a conversation on bodycam in which Timberlake said “This is going to ruin the tour,” to which the officer incredulously responded, “Which tour?”
Timberlake claimed he just had ‘one martini’
Despite claiming to have only drunk “one martini,” the Friends With Benefits star refused a Breathalyzer test three times, but “performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests.”
Witnesses at the bar reported that Timberlake was visibly intoxicated, even stealing another customer’s drink while he was away from the table.
The police even said that he smelled “strongly of alcohol” and that “he was not concentrating, his speech was slurred, he was unsteady on one leg.”
Even in his photo, Timberlake showed “bloody” and “red” eyes.
The singer appeared in court the next morning, looking disheveled in casual attire, and was released without bail. He has a history of publicly acknowledging his struggles with alcohol and has previously spoken about his efforts to deal with excessive drinking.
Read this also. Justin Timberlake’s DWI photo shows ‘glassy’ and ‘red’ eyes
His wife, actress Jessica Biel, 42, who was reportedly filming in Manhattan, expressed shock and deep concern over the incident, according to sources.
Legal experts suggest that Timberlake, who has no prior criminal record, is unlikely to go to jail if convicted, but he may have to pay a fine and have his driving license suspended in New York State. His lawyer, Eddie Burke Jr., said, “He was a gentleman. He didn’t show any authority at all. He refused to be tested, but that’s his right.”
The SexyBack singer’s next tour dates, scheduled for June 25 and 26 at Madison Square Garden, are pending due to ongoing legal proceedings.
