Justin Timberlake breaks silence on DWI arrest at Chicago concert

Justin Timberlake publicly acknowledged his recent drunk-driving arrest for the first time at a Friday concert.

“It’s been a tough week,” the 10-time Grammy winner told fans at Chicago’s United Center Friday night at his first performance since the Tuesday arrest in the Hamptons.

“I know I’m hard to love sometimes but you keep loving me right back,” the 43-year-old former *NSYNC member said, the audience cheering in response. 

It was the first time the pop icon appeared onstage for his “Forget Tomorrow” world tour since the Tuesday incident. He has two upcoming shows on June 25 and June 26 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, per his tour schedule.

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Timberlake was arrested in his gray 2025 BMW in Sag Harbor on Long Island around 12:15 a.m. on June 18. He failed to stop at a stop sign and was unable to stay in the right lane before he was pulled over, then “performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests,” according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. 

He had “bloodshot and glossy eyes,” was “unable to divide his attention” and had a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage… emanating from his breath.” He was “unsteady afoot” and exhibited “slow speech,” the arresting officer wrote.

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The “SexyBack” singer told the arresting officer he had one martini at The American Hotel and was following some friends home. He was taken to a police station in East Hampton, where he refused a breathalyzer test.

The Sag Harbor police officer who pulled Timberlake over said he didn’t know who the singer was or recognized his name, Page Six reported. As captured on body camera footage, the officer responded “What tour?” when the performer said under his breath that the arrest was “going to ruin the tour.”

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Timberlake was charged with one count of driving while intoxicated along with citations for failure to keep right and failure to stop at a stop sign, the district attorney’s office confirmed to Fox News. He is expected to appear virtually for his first court hearing in the matter on July 26.

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On Wednesday, Timberlake’s lawyer, Ed Burke, commented on his client’s arrest, telling Fox News Digital, “I look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake on these allegations. I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time but am currently awaiting full discovery from the District Attorney’s office.”

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Stanton and Larry Fink contributed to this report.