Justin Timberlake has returned to his tour following his DWI arrest.
The 43-year-old performed at Chicago’s United Center on June 21, less than a week after his New York arrest. On stage, Justin Timberlake made his first public comments about the incident.
“We’ve been together through ups and downs and lefts and rights,” he began, addressing the crowd in a video shared by a fan, “and it’s been a tough week, but you’re here, and I’m here, and nothing can change this moment right now.”
The Grammy winner continued, “I know sometimes I’m hard to love, but you keep on loving me and I love you right back. Thank you so much.”
On June 17, Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor, Long Island, during a break from his Forget Tomorrow world tour. Authorities stopped him during a traffic stop and reported finding him in an “intoxicated condition.”
The Sag Harbor Police Department stated that Timberlake performed “poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests.” He allegedly admitted to having “one martini” and refused an impairment test, leading to his arrest.
The next morning, Timberlake—who shares sons Silas, 9, and Phineas, 3, with his wife Jessica Biel—was released without bail. He was charged with one count of driving while intoxicated during his arraignment.
A source familiar with the situation shared details about the night of the arrest. “He was at dinner with friends,” the source said. “As he left the restaurant, there was a patrol car seemingly stationed nearby. He was stopped and arrested. Nobody was hurt.”
Jessica Biel, currently filming the Amazon Prime series The Better Sister in New York, was not present during the incident.
She was spotted on set in Manhattan hours after Timberlake left the police station.
Timberlake had not spoken publicly about the incident until his on-stage comments. His lawyer, Edward Burke Jr., had previously stated, “We look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these allegations.”
“I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time,” Burke added, “but am currently awaiting full discovery from the District Attorney’s office.”