It did not ruin the tour after all.
On Friday, singer Justin Timberlake made a video appearance in the Hamptons court. The court proceeding followed his drunk driving charge last June. The “Mirror” singer received permission to attend virtually from Antwerp, Belgium, where he is scheduled to perform on Saturday as part of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Europe.
In the early hours of June 18, The NSYNC member was pulled over in Sag Harbor, Hamptons, after running past a stop sign and veering out of lane on his 2025 BMW X7. After failing his field sobriety test, Timberlake was promptly arrested for drunk driving. Photos showing the singer’s mugshot and bloodshot eyes quickly went viral, alongside the infamous remark he allegedly made to the officer who booked him: “This is going to ruin the tour.”
Timberlake has pleaded not guilty twice, insisting he was not intoxicated at the time of his arrest. To the arresting officer, he admitted to having just one martini at The American Hotel and was following some friends home.
Citing “very significant errors” in the case filings, Timberlake’s attorney Edward Burke Jr. vehemently fought for his client’s innocence.
“I’ll say it again. Justin Timberlake was not intoxicated,” Burke said. “And we are very confident that charge, that criminal charge, will be dismissed.”
Nonetheless, Timberlake’s driving license has now been suspended. However, Burke has clarified that since he has an out-of-state license, it only affects his ability to drive in New York.
Another hearing is scheduled for August 9. Timberlake is expected to once again attend virtually due to the ongoing tour.
The DUI case is another tally in the singer’s recent streak of bad publicity. The past few years have seen Timberlake, once dubbed the “Prince of Pop”, getting trolled online for his past controversies, particularly the infamous Super Bowl incident involving Janet Jackson and his early aughts drama with ex-girlfriend Britney Spears. The new outrage over those 2000s tabloid fodders got so bad that Timberlake had to issue a public apology regarding the matters.