More than six months after he got busted, the E Street Band leader addresses his offenses in front of the public for the first time, and claims that it was 'the United States of America vs. Bruce Springsteen.'
- June 29, 2021
AceShowbiz - Bruce Springsteen has addressed his DWI arrest in front of the public. More than six months after he got busted at Gateway National Recreation Area in New Jersey, the music legend made his first return to Broadway since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and shared his thoughts on the incident.
"It's great to see everybody here tonight," Bruce told the crowd that included New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, on Saturday, June 26. After kicking off his performance with "Growin' Up", he looked back at his 2020 highlights, "What a year. I did a radio show. I did a podcast with the President of the United States [Barack Obama]. I was handcuffed and thrown in jail."
Bruce went on to slip in a hilarious comment about his bust. "I didn't wake up one morning, get on my motorcycle and say, 'I think I'll drive to jail,' " the E Street Band leader joked. "And then I had to go to Zoom Court! My case was the United States of America vs. Bruce Springsteen."
"That's always comfortable to hear, that the entire nation is aligned against you. 'You have managed to engage in an act so heinous that it offended the entire f**kin' United States! You, my recalcitrant, law-breaking, bridge-and-tunnel friend have drunk two shots of tequila,' " Bruce quipped. The "Thunder Road" singer then talked about his home state, "New Jersey, they love me there!"
Bruce's arrest, which happened in November 2020, was brought to public attention in February 2021. The 71-year-old rocker was first cited for DWI, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area. At the time, he reportedly took a shot of tequila one of the fans offered him and rode off.
After a virtual court hearing in February, Bruce's drunken driving and reckless driving charges were dropped and the prosecutors admitted that his blood-alcohol level was well below the legal blood alcohol limit at the time of his bust. However, the "Dancing in the Dark" crooner pleaded guilty to the third charge for drinking what he described as "two small shots of tequila," for which he received a $500 fine.
