The 'Cry Me a River' singer publicly addresses his recent arrest in the Hamptons for the first time as he continues his 'Forget Tomorrow World Tour' with a stop in Chicago.
- Jun 22, 2024
AceShowbiz - Justin Timberlake has broken his silence on his DWI arrest as he resumed his "Forget Tomorrow World Tour" in Chicago. Returning on stage for the first time since his legal trouble, the singer/actress admitted that he is "hard to love sometimes."
The 43-year-old took the stage at the United Center on Friday evening, June 21. According to Page Six, he delivered a message to his fans, where he stressed they've both been through the "ups-and-downs and lefts-and-rights."
"It's been a tough week," the husband of Jessica Biel told the crowd. He went on acknowledging his fans' unwavering support as saying, "I know I'm hard to love sometimes but you keep loving me right back."
Justin was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York shortly after midnight Tuesday, June 18 while traveling back to his hotel from a dinner with his friends at the American Hotel. He was pulled over after failing to stop at a duly posted stop sign and failing to stay in his lane when driving his BMW on Madison Street at 12:37 A.M.
The Grammy winner reportedly failed a field sobriety test, demonstrated bloodshot and glassy eyes, and exhibited slurred speech and an inability to divide attention. Sources noted that the "SexyBack" singer refused to take a breathalyzer test, leading to a suspension of his driving privileges in New York state for a year.
Justin was charged with one count of driving while intoxicated and two other traffic violations. He was released on Tuesday morning without a bail. His next court appearance is scheduled to be held virtually on Friday, July 26.
On Wednesday, his lawyer Edward Burke Jr., a prominent attorney in the Hamptons, said in a statement, "Mr Burke looks 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."
Justin reportedly had apologized to his tour crew prior to the show in Chicago. He had a long conference call with his tour crew in the hours following his shocking arrest, being praised for how he handled the situation.
"He made sure that this arrest didn't create tension in the crew, he reacted like a boss, like someone who owns his s**t," a source, who described Justin as a "very solid leader," told The Sun. "He said sorry for bringing this kind of attention to the team. Everyone was happy to hear what he said."
A tour coordinator added that crew members feared the tour would be canceled, but "we were quickly told nothing was going to change." The second source said that Justin was in "great spirits" and told everyone "with a big smile that he was sorry" before admitting "he shouldn't have done that." He added of the star, "He is a responsible guy who made a mistake."
