The New York police officer who arrested Grammy Award-winning singer Justin Timberlake early Tuesday morning had no clue who the 43-year-old was, according to a report.
The officer was so unaware of Timberlake’s status that when he arrested the pop star for alleged drunken driving, Timberlake complained the arrest would hamper his coming tour.
The officer’s response, according to sources close to the arrest who spoke to the New York Post’s Page Six, was, “What tour?”
The former NSYNC singer was pulled over just after midnight on Long Island after drinking with friends at a hotel in Sag Harbor, according to the outlet.
When Timberlake left the hotel, officers pursued him and pulled him over for a traffic violation.
Once an officer determined he believed the singer and actor might be intoxicated, Timberlake agreed to a field sobriety test but declined a Breathalyzer test.
According to Page Six, when Timberlake was placed in handcuffs, he complained about what the arrest could mean for his career.
A person close to the star told the outlet, “Justin said under his breath, ‘This is going to ruin the tour.’ The cop replied, ‘What tour?’ Justin said, ‘The world tour.’”
The pop star’s world tour begins Friday in Chicago and ends in mid-December.
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A second source told Page Six that the arresting officer “was so young that he didn’t even know” about Timberlake’s status in the music industry.
“He didn’t recognize him or his name,” the person said.
Timberlake was charged with DWI as well as cited for two alleged traffic infractions.
According to Page Six’s sources, as Timberlake was taken into custody, his friends begged the officer to release him.
A video released by Sag Harbor police showed the moments leading up to Timberlake’s arrest.
The department also shared his mugshot.
Surveillance footage shows Justin Timberlake driving in Sag Harbor the night of his DWI arrest. A police officer stopped Timberlake after they saw his BMW drive through stop sign and then failing to keep to the right side of the road. https://t.co/XZOZOzmxnS pic.twitter.com/cxiDutkmyR
— CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) June 19, 2024
Timberlake had not commented publicly on the arrest as of early Wednesday.
An attorney for the pop star also declined to comment on the case against his client.
As Newsweek noted, Tuesday was not the first time alcohol was blamed for landing Timberlake in hot water.
In 2019, he was photographed holding hands with actress Alisha Wainwright while the two worked on the film “Palmer” in New Orleans.
In a public apology to his wife, Hollywood actress Jessica Biel, Timberlake wrote, “A few weeks ago, I displayed a strong lapse in judgment — but let me be clear — nothing happened between me and my co-star. I drank way too much that night, and I regret my behavior.”
As Page Six also noted, Timberlake was quoted as far back as 2006 as saying, “I’m just like everyone else — I get completely plastered, I’ve done my fair share of drugs and I’ve been caught places with my pants down. It’s just I make sure there are no cameras around.”
In 2014, he told Oprah Winfrey that he once drank an entire bottle of whiskey by himself.
