Justin Timberlake Arrested and Charged for DWI in New York

Pop star and actor Justin Timberlake found himself in legal trouble early Tuesday morning (June 18) when he was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York, on charges of driving while intoxicated (DWI).

The Sag Harbor police confirmed Timberlake's arrest after he allegedly drove through a stop sign. According to court documents, Timberlake, 43, was stopped at 12:37 a.m. after driving his grey 2025 BMW through the Madison Street and Jermain Avenue stop sign.

Officers noted that Timberlake failed to keep to the right side of the road after running the stop sign. Surveillance footage captured by Hamptons.com shows Timberlake driving through Sag Harbor shortly before he was pulled over.

The arresting officer reported that Timberlake appeared to be "in an intoxicated condition". "His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and a strong odour of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath," the officer noted, adding that Timberlake "performed poorly on all standard field sobriety tests".

Justin Timberlake reportedly admitted to the officer, "I had one martini and I followed my friends home." Despite these admissions, documents reveal that he allegedly refused a breathalyzer test on three occasions. Following his arrest, Timberlake was arraigned at around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Sag Harbor Village Justice Court and was released on his own recognizance. “Mr Timberlake was placed under arrest, processed and held overnight for morning arraignment,” as per the police statement.

In response to the charges, Timberlake's attorney, Edward Burke, Jr., stated, "I look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake on these allegations. I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time but am currently awaiting full discovery from the District Attorney's office." His next court appearance is scheduled for a virtual hearing on July 26.

The news of Timberlake's arrest quickly became the talk of Sag Harbor, a celebrity hotspot located about 100 miles from New York City and on social media! Timberlake, currently on his "Forget Tomorrow" tour supporting his latest album "Everything I Thought It Was," has yet to address the arrest publicly. He has upcoming shows in Chicago, New York City, Boston, and Baltimore before taking the tour internationally. Despite the incident, his representatives have not yet commented publicly on the arrest.

The ongoing legal issues could impact Justin Timberlake's career, which started as a Disney Mouseketeer and evolved into massive global fame as a solo artist and actor with multiple Grammy and Emmy award wins. Timberlake's recent arrest is likely to bring more negative publicity and stir controversies, adding to the fallout from Britney Spears' 2023 memoir.

In her book, Spears, his ex and former Mickey Mouse Club castmate, accused Justin Timberlake of pressuring her to abort a pregnancy during their relationship from 1999 to 2002. She described undergoing a home procedure to avoid hospital recognition and recounted how Timberlake tried to console her by playing his acoustic guitar. The memoir reignited criticism of Timberlake, who had previously faced backlash for his role in the 2004 Super Bowl incident with Janet Jackson.

While Spears later apologized for any offense caused by her memoir and praised Timberlake’s comeback single "Selfish," the respite was short-lived. He further fueled his critics by declaring at a New York concert, “I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to absolutely fucking nobody.” This comment led Spears to retract her apology, responding on social media, “Someone told me someone was talking shit about me on the streets!!! … I’m not sorry!!!” Fans largely supported her stance!

Recently, Justin Timberlake dropped his sixth studio album titled, "Everything I Thought It Was", via RCA Records on March 15, 2024. The album serves as the follow-up to his previous album, "Man of the Woods" (2018), featuring appearances from Fireboy DML, Tobe Nwigwe, and NSYNC.

The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, giving Timberlake his sixth consecutive top five album in the country, while the lead single "Selfish" reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. To promote his album, Timberlake performed a one-off concert at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on March 13. The show featured a surprise reunion with his NSYNC bandmates, with the group playing a medley of hits and the new album track “Paradise.”

As this high-profile case progresses, fans and critics are eager for updates on how this will affect him, especially with his upcoming tour stops in major U.S. cities before going overseas.