Justin Timberlake In June 2024, he was arrested for drunk driving and quickly became national news. Forget Tomorrow’s World TourPublicity about the DUI charge prolonged the drama, even though Timberlake was released by the Sag Harbor Police Department hours after his arrest. After his recent plea deal, the pop singer admitted in a press conference that he made a “mistake.”
For more information on Timberlake’s arrest and guilty plea, see below.
Why was Justin Timberlake arrested in Sag Harbor?
On June 18, the “Mirrors” hitmaker was stopped by a police officer in the Hamptons, New York. According to the arresting officer, Timberlake was stopped for failing to stop at a stop sign and drifting out of his lane while driving. The officer claimed Timberlake had bloodshot eyes and refused to take a Breathalyzer test three times, resulting in a poor field sobriety test.
Timberlake was subsequently charged with one count of DUI and two traffic violations for failing to stop at a stop sign and failing to maintain his lane.
Did Justin Timberlake drink and drive?
When the arresting officer pulled him over, Timberlake reportedly told the officer he had “had one martini” before getting behind the wheel.
Timberlake’s lawyer, Edward Burke Jr., said: Hollywood Life Following the arrest of our client.
“We have more to say at the appropriate time, but currently await full discovery from the District Attorney’s Office,” Burke said in a statement, adding that he “looks forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these charges.”
Justin Timberlake’s plea deal
Timberlake and Burke appeared in Sag Harbor Village Court on September 13, 2024, and pleaded guilty. According to NBC News, the NSYNC member agreed to a plea deal with the court, pleading guilty to a non-criminal traffic offense of driving while intoxicated. However, the judge reportedly found the agreement flawed. The judge then asked Timberlake if he was willing to perform 5-40 hours of community service, which he agreed to in addition to paying a $500 fine.
Following the plea agreement, Timberlake attended a press conference in Sag Harbor on September 13.
“You’ve been covering me for most of my life and you know I hold myself to very high standards,” he said, adding: “That wasn’t the case this time. I was in a position where I could have made a different decision, but I had time to think about it.”
Timberlake elaborated, urging everyone not to drive, even if they’ve had “one drink.”
“I would say to everyone watching, even if you’ve had one drink, don’t drive,” the pop singer said. “There are so many alternatives: call a friend, use Uber, there are so many travel apps, take a taxi. This is a mistake that I made, but I hope that everyone watching and listening to this show right now can learn from this mistake.”
