A bartender at New York’s American Hotel has confirmed that Justin Timberlake “had one drink” at the establishment prior to his DWI arrest on Tuesday, June 18.
The unnamed staff member spoke to People on Saturday, June 22, detailing the 43-year-old’s movements, supporting the singer’s claim that he only had “one martini.”
A second staffer at American Hotel, located in Sag Harbor, told the outlet that, “If he was drinking more, it wasn’t here.”
Timberlake was arrested on DWI-related charges in the Hamptons and was taken into custody on Monday, June 17, after being charged with driving while intoxicated.
The Sag Harbor Police Department issued a statement regarding Timberlake’s arrest. “On June 18, 2024, at 12:37 AM, Justin R. Timberlake, age 43, of Tennessee, 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.”
It continued: “A traffic stop was initiated by a Police Officer from the Sag Harbor Village Police Department and upon investigation it was determined that Mr. Timberlake was operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition.”
According to court documents obtained by CNN, when Timberlake encountered police at the traffic stop, he allegedly told them he “had one martini and I followed my friends home.” Per the outlet, the singer’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” and there was a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath.”
One officer from the Sag Harbor Village Police Department reportedly noted that in addition to Timberlake having “slowed speech,” he “was unsteady afoot and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests.”
Timberlake also rejected a breathalyzer test three times.
A lawyer for the star, who is currently on the road for his Forget Tomorrow World Tour and set to perform several shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden this week, is ready to defend the singer with “a lot to say” about the arrest.
“I look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake on these allegations,” attorney Edward Burke Jr. said in a statement to Us Weekly on Wednesday, June 19. “I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time but am currently awaiting full discovery from the district attorney’s office.”
Timberlake was held overnight during his arrest and was arraigned at the Sag Harbor Village Justice Court the previous day. At 9:30 AM, he was released on his own recognizance.
The “SexyBack” singer addressed the incident while on stage at Chicago’s United Centre on Friday, June 21.
“It’s been a tough week,” Timberlake said while introducing his “Selfish” performance. “I know sometimes I’m hard to love, but you keep on loving me and I love you right back.”
