Justin Timberlake Makes an Apparent Joke About His DWI Arrest While Onstage in Boston Saturday Night

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 1 July 2024

Less than two weeks after his June 18 arrest in Sag Harbor for DWI, Justin Timberlake seemed to be making light of the situation onstage in Boston over the weekend, seemingly joking about his arrest as he played a show supporting his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour at TD Garden.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, on Saturday night Timberlake addressed the crowd and asked, “So, uh, is there anyone here tonight that is driving?”

As the audience laughed, Timberlake quickly pivoted, adding an “I’m just kidding” before moving on, asking the crowd “Is there anyone here tonight that it’s your first time here to the show? Is there anybody here that you’ve been to one, two, three, maybe four of our shows?”

He continued with “For all of you that it’s your first time tonight—on a serious note—I hope that you feel the fellowship and the love,” Timberlake said. “For those of you that have been with me through all the weird haircuts—don’t act like y’all didn’t have bad haircuts! I took one for the team. Maybe like, three or four for the team, but who’s counting? But it’s been almost three decades together, you guys.”

Timberlake was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated, and, according to a police statement, the 10-time Grammy winner was “observed operating a 2025 BMW southbound on Madison Street, failing to stop at a duly posted stop sign and failing to maintain his lane of travel.”

A Sag Harbor police officer pulled Timberlake over and subsequently “determined that Mr. Timberlake was operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition,” a report stated. He was arraigned and released ahead of his next court date, set for July 26—the same day his tour has the first of its European dates, in Poland, specifically.

Justin Timberlake's mugshot — Timberlake's mugshot

Despite his perceived lighthearted attitude about his arrest onstage, a source told Entertainment Tonight that Timberlake was “feeling remorseful, ashamed, and humiliated,” adding that “This situation has taken a toll on him, but he is trying to view it as a way that he can reset himself,” they said. “He does his best to set a positive example for himself, [his wife, Jessica Biel], his family, and the public, and will continue to try to learn and grow. He is taking this seriously and recognizes how it can impact his family dynamic as a husband and father, and his fans, too.”

Of Timberlake and Biel—who share two young sons—they added that the couple, married 12 years this year, “both know and understand that everyone makes mistakes, and that mistakes don’t define people. Jess knows that Justin is a great husband and dad, and a wonderful person with the best intentions.”

They added that “He is putting his energy into wowing his fans with incredible shows and trying to move on. Jess is feeling focused and centered while filming [The Better Sister for Prime in New York City] and not letting this situation derail her. Their kids are also at the forefront of their minds, as always, and they’re protecting their children from any negative media attention.”

Since his arrest, Timberlake has played two shows apiece in Chicago, New York City, and Boston, and will next go onstage in Baltimore on Wednesday.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.