Jeep pulls Bruce Springsteen ad after report of drunken driving arrest

Just days after it aired, Bruce Springsteen’s Jeep ad has been dumped after reports the rock star was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Bruce Springsteen in a Jeep Super Bowl advertisement, which has since been pulled.

Stellantis NV pulled a Jeep commercial starring Bruce Springsteen from YouTube after it was reported that he was arrested late last year and charged with driving while intoxicated.

Mr. Springsteen is scheduled to appear in federal court later this month. The rock star and New Jersey native was also charged with reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a prohibited area when he was arrested by law enforcement rangers November 14 in the Gateway National Recreation Area, according to a spokeswoman for the National Park Service. The spokeswoman didn’t release details about the circumstances around Mr Springsteen’s arrest except to say he “was cooperative throughout the process.” Mr Springsteen starred in a two-minute commercial for Jeep that aired during the Super Bowl last weekend.

The Middle. pic.twitter.com/dbsgWV35i0

— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) February 8, 2021

A Jeep brand spokesperson said, “It would be inappropriate for us to comment on the details of a matter we have only read about and we cannot substantiate. But it’s also right that we pause our Big Game commercial until the actual facts can be established. Its message of community and unity is as relevant as ever. As is the message that drinking and driving can never be condoned.” The commercial, titled The Middle, finds Mr. Springsteen on the grounds of the U.S. Center Chapel in Lebanon, Kansas, which he describes as the geographical middle point of the nation’s lower 48 states.

“It’s a bit downbeat, it’s very quiet, it’s a prayer,” Olivier Francois, global chief marketing officer at Stellantis, said before the game. “I think the whole thing is Bruce’s prayer for an America reunited that finds its common ground again.” Mr Springsteen, 71 years old, will appear in federal court, likely by videoconference, because he was arrested in a national park, according to a spokesman for the US attorney’s office for New Jersey.

His attorney and management team didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. His arrest was first reported Wednesday by TMZ.

The Gateway National Recreation Area covers 27,000 acres, including Sandy Hook beach in northern New Jersey.

Mr. Springsteen, who grew up in Freehold, New Jersey, enjoys legendary status in his home state. He got his start playing at venues on the Jersey shore, including the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. He recently appeared along with fellow New Jersey-born rocker Jon Bon Jovi and comedian Jon Stewart on billboards co-sponsored by the state to promote mask wearing. He has also participated in fundraising efforts for the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.

The Wall Street Journal