Justin Timberlake Arrested for ‘Driving While Intoxicated,’ Performed ‘Poorly’ on Sobriety Tests

Pop sensation Justin Timberlake is in hot waters following his shocking arrest for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in the posh Hamptons neighborhood of Long Island. The actor was apprehended by the police late on July 18 in what resembled a dramatic film scene, but this was reality. Officers suspected Timberlake of being drunk when he ran a stop sign and did not stay on the correct side of the road, per NBC News. Following standard procedure, the cops ordered Timberlake to step out of his vehicle and submit to field sobriety tests. The Cry Me a River singer was unable to strike the correct notes; official sources state that Timberlake's performance at the sobriety tests was 'poor.'

It was "ascertained that the defendant was operating said vehicle in an intoxicated condition in that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests," Sag Harbor Village police officer Michael Atkinson wrote.

According to the report, Timberlake struggled to walk heel-to-toe and stand on one foot without swaying or using his arms for balance. The officer also cited Timberlake for claiming, "I had just one martini, and I followed my friends home." He also refused to submit to an impairment test, allegedly telling officers, "No, I'm not doing a chemical test."

Later, Sag Harbor Village police released a statement to the media in which they said that Timberlake, operating a 2025 BMW, ran a stop sign, veered out of his lane, and was stopped by an officer who found the music star to be in an 'intoxicated condition.' According to the police statement, “Mr. Timberlake was placed under arrest, processed, and held overnight for morning arraignment.”

Timberlake had been celebrating at a nearby hotel when he drove out and nearly instantly ran the stop sign in question. TMZ reported Timberlake was taken into custody when police detected the smell of alcohol on his breath, and he failed a field sobriety test. Meanwhile, Timberlake's lawyer, Ed Burke Jr., said in a statement to US Weekly that his client was only charged with driving while drunk because he declined to take a breathalyzer test before adding, “Mr. Timberlake was also charged with two other court citations, running a stop sign and not traveling in the correct traffic lane.”

Timberlake's arrest comes about a year after he spoke on Oprah's Master Class about his involvement in what he called binge drinking during a period of his career, per The Guardian. He also talked to Oprah about how he overcame his addiction and started practicing self-care. The performer's arrest is likely to spark more negative press for him as he deals with the aftermath of negative headlines caused primarily by his portrayal in pop sensation Britney Spears' 2023 memoir.