US singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake attends the Vanity Fair Oscars Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California, on March 10, 2024. AFP FILE PHOTO
Pop star Justin Timberlake was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in a chic town east of New York City, and spent the night in jail before being arraigned and released, local officials said Tuesday.
The 43-year-old Timberlake, known for such hits as “SexyBack” and “Cry Me a River,” was taken into custody in Sag Harbor, part of the affluent Hamptons community, in the early hours of Tuesday.
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“Justin Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor for driving while intoxicated,” the prosecutor’s office in Suffolk County said in a statement emailed to AFP.
“He was arraigned in Sag Harbor Village Justice Court and released on his own recognizance,” the statement said, adding that Timberlake’s next court date would be a virtual appearance on July 26.
Sag Harbor police said in a statement that a police officer pulled Timberlake over shortly after midnight after seeing him driving his BMW through a stop sign and failing to stay on the right side of the road.
“Upon investigation, it was determined that Mr Timberlake was operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition,” police said, confirming earlier media reports.
Timberlake’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy,” and he “performed poorly on all standard field sobriety tests,” CBS reported, citing court documents.
The singer-actor, who is currently on tour in support of his latest album, reportedly told police he “had one martini” and was following his friends home, the network said.
“Mr Timberlake was placed under arrest, processed, and held overnight for morning arraignment,” police said.
Timberlake shot to stardom as a member of the boy band NSYNC before launching a solo career and eventually making the transition to acting. He has won 10 Grammy awards and four Emmy awards.
He is married to actress Jessica Biel. The couple has two sons.