Pop star Justin Timberlake has reached a plea agreement to resolve his drink-driving case in New York state. Timberlake, originally charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI), appeared in court where he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of driving while impaired, a non-criminal traffic violation.
As part of the plea deal, Timberlake has been ordered to pay a $500 fine, plus a $260 surcharge, complete 25 hours of community service, and deliver a public safety announcement outside the court. In his statement, Timberlake said, “Even if you’ve had one drink don’t get behind the wheel of a car. This is a mistake I have made, but I hope whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this. I know I certainly have.”
The incident occurred on June 18, when Timberlake was arrested for running a stop sign and failing to maintain his lane in the Hamptons, a well-known vacation spot for celebrities. According to the charging document, officers observed that Timberlake’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” and detected a “strong odour of an alcoholic beverage” on his breath. He reportedly refused a breathalyser test and did poorly on sobriety tests.
Timberlake allegedly told the officer at the scene, “I had one Martini and I followed my friends home.” However, Timberlake’s lawyer stated outside court on Friday that the singer had consumed just one drink over a span of two hours that night. The lawyer added, “A few weeks ago, I addressed all of you and said my client was not driving while intoxicated—after much discussion and a thorough review, today the DA [district attorney’s] office decided not to move forward with that charge.”
Timberlake’s first court appearance was held last month via a virtual link from Europe, where he was touring. During that appearance, he denied the DWI charge, which in New York could have led to up to a year in jail and a suspension of his driving license—a standard procedure following a DWI arrest.
The 10-time Grammy winner, who has previously been candid about his struggles with excessive drinking, addressed the arrest days later during a performance in Chicago, telling the audience, “It’s been a tough week.”
