Yahoo News Here’s A Complete Breakdown Of Everything That’s Happened With The Justin Timberlake DWI Story So Far
Justin Timberlake catching a case wasn't on my 2024 bingo card, and it probably wasn't on yours, either. The former NSYNC frontman was arrested in the wee hours of June 18th after police suspected him of driving under the influence, TMZ reports.
The incident earned plenty of reactions from people like Elon Musk and Gayle King.
Police later revealed to the publication that Timberlake allegedly ran a stop sign after leaving the American Hotel in New York City in his 2025 BMW.
Authorities revealed they spotted the pop star half a mile from the hotel. He reportedly struggled to drive straight on the road, prompting police to pull him over in a residential area.
According to the police report, Timberlake showed many signs that he wasn't fit to be operating a motor vehicle.
Between the bloodshot eyes, slowed speech, and apparently a strong odor of alcohol, Timberlake failed the field sobriety test. Meanwhile, one cop alleged that Timberlake said, "I had one martini and I followed my friends home." His friends reportedly attempted to intervene, though that didn't necessarily work out in his favor. He also refused to take a breathalyzer test, according to TMZ sources.
What's worse is that Justin Timberlake's attempt to leverage his star power allegedly failed miserably.
Jesus: one of you will betray me tonightJudas: this is going to ruin the tourJesus: ???Judas: the world tour
— mils ✩˚.⋆ (@thelorebitch) June 22, 2024
@thelorebitch / Via Twitter: @thelorebitch
Sources close to PageSix said that the arresting officer was "was so young that he didn't even know" who Timberlake was. In fact, the source said the officer "didn't recognize him or his name." Allegedly, Timberlake muttered, "This is going to ruin the tour," during the arrest. The officer reportedly replied, "What tour?" to which the JT said, "The world tour." As you can imagine, this sparked plenty of memes online.
Footage of his car driving down Main Street surfaced around the same time, just moments before his arrest via TMZ.
According to The New York Post, someone tipped off the police about Timberlake. "[They] said Justin was having a lot of drinks, and they told the cop to watch him if he is going to drive," the source said.
An alleged witness to Timberlake's inebriated state suggested that it may have been more than just one drink. Speaking to The New York Post, the witness said, "He was wasted. At one point, just before closing, somebody got up to go to the bathroom and left his drink on the table."
Unfortunately, this aligns with resurfaced comments he made to Observer Music Monthly in 2006. According to Today, Timberlake once described his relationship with substances in the past. "I’ve done way too many drugs already. I’ve already inhaled and I’ve already … who knows?" he reportedly said. "I’m just like everyone else, I get completely plastered, I’ve done my fair share of drugs and I’ve been caught places with my pants down." He added, "It’s just I make sure there are no cameras around.”
However, bar staff at the hotel where Timberlake was partying did confirm that he only ordered one drink in a statement to People.
Another employee said, "If he was drinking more, it wasn’t here."
Timberlake was taken into custody by Sag Harbor PD and spent the night in jail.
He was seen exiting the courthouse with his lawyer, Ed Burke Jr., after his arraignment. He's due back in court on July 26th. However, the New York Post reports that he won't have to attend the court date himself.
His attorney, Ed Burke Jr., issued a statement shortly after.
"I look forward to vigorously defending Mr Timberlake on these allegations," Burke told PA Media. "I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time but am currently awaiting full discovery from the District Attorney's office."
Before they knew it, his mugshot surfaced online, breeding more memes than his reported statement to the police. According to TMZ, it also bred demand for new merch that included an image of his mugshot.
"A traffic stop was initiated by a Police Officer from the Sag Harbor Village Police Department and upon investigation it was determined that Mr. Timberlake was operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition," the statement from Sag Harbor Police spokesperson said, per ET. "Mr. Timberlake was placed under arrest, processed, and held overnight for morning arraignment. Mr. Timberlake was arraigned at the Sag Harbor Village Justice Court on June 18, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. where he was released on his own recognizance."
Ultimately, it doesn't seem like this really impacted his tour in the way that he thought. However, he offered an apology to the tour crew.
Reports emerged that he felt "remorseful, ashamed, and humiliated" following his arrest. He also reportedly felt like he "doesn't believe he needs help when it comes to alcohol" and described the situation as a "major lapse of judgment," according to ET.
Naturally, concerns arose about the future of the tour after his arrest, though he reportedly held a Zoom call with the crew where he said the incident "wasn't the best thing to happen," according to The Sun. "He made sure that this arrest didn’t create tension in the crew, he reacted like a boss, like someone who owns his s**t," the source said. "He said sorry for bringing this kind of attention to the team. Everyone was happy to hear what he said."
Meanwhile, his arrest wound up getting tangled into his timeline with ex Britney Spears, who took a turn after she released her memoir.
Fans speculated that she took a shot at Timberlake's arrest on Instagram after she posted a photo of a cocktail with the caption reading, "It's the little things." Around the same time, alleged footage of Timberlake trying to warn Britney to stop drinking began making the rounds, leading to further speculation that her Instagram post was about her ex.
What's worse is that allegations emerged that Timberlake had a plethora of substances running through his system including Truvada and poppers. However, that was later debunked.
After a few days, Justin Timberlake returned to Instagram where he celebrated his show at Madison Square Garden.
Many had wondered what his wife, Jessica Biel, had to say about his arrest. She is currently filming The Better Sister in New York City. While certain tabloids attempted to push the narrative that the incident strained their relationship, she was spotted in the crowd supporting her hubby at MSG.
Sources close to People said, "They’ve moved on from the arrest. They have faith in their legal team and continue to focus on work and their family instead."
Finally, Timberlake addressed the situation in public for the first time during his tour stop in Chicago.
Ultimately, it seems like Timberlake isn't stressing the situation entirely. During the Boston stop on his Forget Tomorrow tour, he made a light joke about the ordeal.
"So uh, is there anyone here tonight that is driving and — no I’m just kidding," he said on stage. “For all of you that it’s your first time tonight — on a serious note — I hope that you feel the fellowship and the love.”
Sounds like Justin Timberlake isn't stressing about the situation too much.
