Justin Timberlake pleads guilty in drunken driving case
Devan Markham
(NewsNation) — Singer Justin Timberlake accepted a plea deal Friday in his New York drunken driving case, pleading guilty to a lesser traffic offense after his June arrest in the Hamptons.
The boy band singer-turned-solo star and actor appeared in Sag Harbor Village Court to formally enter the new plea, prosecutors said.
The judge sentenced Timberlake, 43, to a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge and 25 hours of community service at the nonprofit of his choosing.
The pop star originally pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated, with Village of Sag Harbor Justice Carl Irace suspending his license because Timberlake refused to take a breathalyzer test when he was pulled over June 18.
Justin Timberlake’s arrest
Timberlake was pulled over in the Hamptons on New York’s Long Island after police said he failed to stop at a stop sign and was unable to maintain his lane of travel. Court documents described the singer as having “bloodshot and glassy eyes” when he refused the breathalyzer.
Justin Timberlake in a mugshot after a DWI arrest Monday, June 17. (Sag Harbor Police Department)
Justin Timberlake’s career woes
The singer hasn’t been charged with driving while intoxicated before, although he did cause controversy in 2016 when he took a selfie in front of a voting booth in Tennessee — a violation of state law.
Timberlake later addressed the controversy during an appearance on “The Tonight Show,” saying he didn’t know it was illegal and was merely trying to inspire people. According to Reuters, authorities in Tennessee did not investigate the incident.
The arrest compounds Timberlake’s career woes after his latest album flopped and concert tour sales struggled. It also follows controversy last year when Britney Spears alleged in her memoir that Timberlake had cheated on her and pressured her to have an abortion during their relationship in the early 2000s.
NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 07: Singers Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in the audience at the 2000 MTV Music Video Awards in New York, in the United States of America on the 7th of September 2000.(Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
FILE – Britney Spears, left, and Justin Timberlake arrive at the 28th Annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 8, 2001. Spears’ memoir “The Woman in Me” releases Oct. 24. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File, File)
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JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET and features a diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band. The guests for Monday, March 11 included Dwayne Johnson (“WrestleMania 40” and “Papatui”), Robert De Niro, and musical guest Justin Timberlake. (Disney)
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET and features a diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band. The guests for Monday, March 11 included Dwayne Johnson (“WrestleMania 40” and “Papatui”), Robert De Niro, and musical guest Justin Timberlake. (Disney)
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Justin Timberlake attends the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 10, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
