The Troubling Reason Justin Timberlake Was Arrested In The Hamptons
Justin Timberlake has lived most of his life in the spotlight, and he now has a distressing new chapter to add to his biography. On June 18, 2024, the pop singer was arrested for allegedly driving drunk shortly after midnight in Sag Harbor, New York, a popular vacation village in the Hamptons. Timberlake was arraigned in a New York court early the same morning and charged with DWI, as reported by TMZ. Ed Burke Jr., his lawyer, told Us Weekly, "The charge was a single count because he refused the breath test. He also received tickets for not stopping at a stop sign and not staying in his lane." There were, thankfully, no reported injuries.
Timberlake had reportedly been enjoying a night out at The American Hotel before getting in his car and driving off to a friend's place. When he was pulled over after allegedly running a stop sign and driving erratically, he refused a breathalyzer test and failed a field sobriety test at the scene, per TMZ.
If police release the reported body cam footage of the arrest, we may see some of Timberlake's friends trying to persuade the arresting officers to let him go, according to TMZ. Obviously, that tactic didn't work as Timberlake was handcuffed and taken into custody. He wouldn't be released until hours later following his arraignment. People reports his next court appearance is scheduled for July 26, 2024.
Justin Timberlake's arrest is getting a lot of online attention
Justin Timberlake's arrest arrived in the midst of his "Forget Tomorrow" world tour, and if his next court date doesn't get moved, it will mean at least one concert date gets canceled. The singer is currently scheduled to play in Krakow, Poland on July 26, according to his official website. How Timberlake's arrest will affect the remainder of his tour remains to be seen at this time.
There's no word from Timberlake or his wife Jessica Biel about the situation as of this writing — but the incident certainly adds to the reasons that Timberlake and Biel's marriage won't last. According to Us Weekly, Biel was nearby in New York City working on a new Amazon Prime show when Timberlake was arrested. While there have been photos of the singer leaving the police department on X, formerly Twitter, he has yet to be pictured with his wife.
Some people on social media are reacting to the news of Timberlake's arrest by making jokes using gifs of the singer dancing on stage. Lots of users were quick to post "cry me a river," in reference to one of Timberlake's most famous songs. Others expressed concern that Timberlake seemingly made such a bad choice. One person wrote on X: "He has the money to order a golden limo to drive him to the moon, but he chooses to drive drunk? Wow."
Justin Timberlake's reputation seems to keep going downhill
Despite the serious nature of drunk driving, many on social media are already convinced that Justin Timberlake won't be in a lot of trouble. One user posted to X, "He will pay a fine and do some charity event for the police and go about his life." However, Timberlake's reputation has taken some hits recently, and the arrest surely won't help. Britney Spears' memoir "The Woman in Me," which came out in October 2023, revealed some not very flattering things about the singer. People have also noticed how Timberlake has stolen the spotlight from women for years.
Then there's his music. Timberlake's most recent solo album, "Everything I Thought It Was," received poor reviews, and there are reports that his concert ticket sales have been lackluster. Despite those reports, in May 2024, he announced an additional nine dates to his concert tour.
Timberlake has been open about his past substance use, though he has doesn't seem to have ever been caught. In 2006, Timberlake told Britain's Observer Music Monthly: "I'm just like everyone else, I get completely plastered," Timberlake said (via Today). "I've done my fair share of drugs and I've been caught places with my pants down. It's just I make sure there are no cameras around." That's not the case anymore.