Justin Timberlake Breaks Silence on DWI Arrest at Chicago Concert: Here’s What He Said
The singer-actor was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on June 17.
Justin Timberlake performs on stage during his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour at Rogers Arena on April 29, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Justin Timberlake is speaking out for the first time following his arrest for allegedly driving while intoxicated.
On Friday (June 21), the 43-year-old singer and actor broke his silence about the incident during his concert at Chicago’s United Center amid his Forget Tomorrow world tour.
“It’s been a tough week,” Timberlake told the cheering crowd in fan-captured clip posted on X (formerly Twitter). “I know I’m hard to love sometimes but you keep loving me right back.”
He added in the short speech, “We’ve been together through ups and downs and lefts and rights … but you’re here and I’m here, and nothing can change this moment right now.”
With an acoustic guitar strapped around his shoulder, the former *NSYNC member then bowed to the roaring audience before before performing “Selfish.”
Timberlake was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in Sag Harbor, N.Y. on June 17. He was arraigned on one count of “driving while intoxicated” the following day.
According to a statement released by the Sag Harbor Police Department, a traffic stop was initiated after the “SexyBack” singer “was observed operating a 2025 BMW southbound on Madison Street, failing to stop at a duly posted stop sign and failing to maintain his lane of travel.”
“It was ascertained that the defendant was operating said vehicle in an intoxicated condition in that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests,” according to the police report filed by officer Michael Arkinson.
“I had one martini and I followed my friends home,” Arkinson also quoted the 10-time Grammy winner as saying in his report.
Earlier in the week, JT’s lawyer Edward Burke Jr. spoke out about the incident. “[We] look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these allegations. He will have a lot to say at the appropriate time. He is currently awaiting full discovery from the DA’s office,” Burke said in the statement, shared with TMZ.
Timberlake’s next court hearing is scheduled for July 26, the same day he is scheduled to perform at Tauron Arena Krakow in Poland.
