Justin Timberlake has pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and has called for fans to think again if they consider driving after drinking alcohol.
The former *NSYNC star was arrested on June 18 after allegedly driving through a stop sign and swerving out of his lane. He was charged with the misdemeanour offence of SWI at the time. He allegedly told the officer that he’d had one martini, and was following friends home in his car. It was reported that he refused a breath test and spent the night at the local police station.
In July, Timberlake pleaded not guilty to the DWI charge, while his driving licence was suspended following a court hearing the following month due to his refusal to take a breath test. At the time, the judge didn’t say how long the suspension would last.
It was later reported that Timberlake agreed a plea deal for the charge to be dropped from driving while intoxicated (DWI) to driving while ability impaired (DWAI), usually a less serious charge than DWI – a violation, rather than a misdemeanour or felony.
Now, Timberlake has appeared in person at Sag Harbor Village Court in the Hamptons, New York today (September 13) to enter the new plea.
The judge sentenced Timberlake to a $500 (£380) fine with a $260 (£198) surcharge and 25 hours of community service at a non-profit of his choice.
After he was sentenced, Timberlake said: “Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car. There are so many alternatives. You can call a friend [or] take an Uber.”
“This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have.”
Timberlake added that he grew up in a small town and therefore understood the kind of strain his arrest made on the town of Sag Harbor.
“I did not live up to the standards that I try to hold for myself,” he said, adding he is “grateful for the opportunity to move forward” and use his platform to hopefully help others make “better decisions”.
“I should’ve had better judgment,” he said to the judge. “I understand the seriousness of this.”
Back in March, he released his sixth album ‘Everything I Thought It Was’. In a three-star review, NME wrote: “Timberlake is a less beloved pop superstar than he probably should be 25 years after he sang ‘It’s gonna be may’ on an era-defining NSYNC banger.
“‘Everything I Thought It Was’ shows he hasn’t lost his vocal chops or ability to work a groove, but it doesn’t do enough to make you block out past misdemeanours. For now, Timberlake’s problematic fave era will have to wait.”