Justin Timberlake publicly acknowledged for the first time that he was arrested for drunk driving during a concert on Friday.
“It’s been a tough week,” the 10-time Grammy Award-winning singer told fans at Chicago’s United Center on Friday night during his first performance since his arrest in the Hamptons on Tuesday.
“I know I’m a hard person to love sometimes, but you all continue to love me,” the 43-year-old former NSYNC member said, as the crowd erupted in cheers in response.
It was the pop icon’s first time onstage since Tuesday’s incident as part of his “Forget Tomorrow” world tour. According to the tour schedule, he’s scheduled to perform two shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 25 and 26.
Justin Timberlake and NSync re-air commercial urging responsible drinking after arrest for DUI
Justin Timberlake’s arrest photo taken at the Sag Harbor Police Department has been released. (Sag Harbor Police Department)
Timberlake was arrested around 12:15 a.m. on June 18 in a gray 2025 BMW in Sag Harbor, Long Island. According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Timberlake was pulled over for failing to stop at a stop sign and failing to stay in the right lane and “performed poor field sobriety tests.”
The arresting officer wrote that the suspect’s eyes were “bloodshot and bright,” that he had “inability to disengage his attention” and that he “had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.” He also wrote that the suspect walked “unsteadily” and spoke “slowly.”
Justin Timberlake’s DUI arrest is the latest drama for pop star and wife Jessica Biel
The “Sexy Back” singer told arresting officers he had had one martini at the American Hotel and was following some friends home. He was taken to the East Hampton police station but refused to take a breathalyzer test.
The Sag Harbor police officer who pulled Timberlake over said he did not know who the singer was or even knew his name. Page 6 According to the report, body camera footage shows the performer whispering, “An arrest would ruin the tour,” to which the officer responded, “What tour?”
Justin Timberlake’s driving video just before he was arrested for drunk driving
Justin Timberlake performs onstage during The Forget Tomorrow World Tour at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia on April 29, 2024. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images, courtesy of Live Nation)
Timberlake was charged with one count of DUI, as well as failing to keep to the right and failing to stop, the district attorney’s office confirmed to Fox News. He is scheduled to appear virtually for his first court hearing on the case on July 26.
Click here to get the FOX News app
On Wednesday, Timberlake’s attorney, Ed Burke, commented on his client’s arrest, telling Fox News Digital, “I look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake regarding these charges. I will have more to say at the appropriate time, but for now we are awaiting full discovery from the District Attorney’s Office.”
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Stanton and Larry Fink contributed to this report.
