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Absolutely brutal detail in Justin Timberlake’s arrest

Justin Timberlake suffered the ultimate celebrity indignity during his shock arrest for driving while drunk overnight.

Justin Timberlake tells Britney to cry him a river

Pop singer Justin Timberlake reportedly suffered the ultimate celeb indignity during his arrest for allegedly driving while drunk overnight: the “young” policeman who pulled him over failed to recognise him.

The New York Post reports that the cop in question was “so young that he didn’t even know” who Timberlake was, even when told his name.

“He didn’t recognise him or his name,” the insider claimed.

It’s also alleged that Timberlake’s first concerns during his arrest were about his current tour, which started in the US in April and will move to Europe next month.

It’s claimed Timberlake said under his breath, ‘This is going to ruin the tour.’ The policeman reportedly asked ‘What tour?’, to which the pop star replied “The world tour.”

Timberlake’s mugshot after his arrest. Picture: Sag Harbor Police Department via Getty
Timberlake’s mugshot after his arrest. Picture: Sag Harbor Police Department via Getty

Mercifully, there are no reports Timberlake tried to alert the policeman to his celebrity status. In that respect at least, he’s fared better than fellow star Reese Witherspoon in her infamous 2013 arrest, which lives on in infamy in dashcam footage.

“Do you know my name?” Witherspoon was shown asking the Atlanta state trooper who stopped she and her then-husband to arrest him for driving under the influence

“You’re about to find out who I am,” she told him. “You’re about to be on national news.”

Witherspoon later called her conduct “embarrassing and really dumb.”

Speaking of: Timberlake allegedly swerved to the wrong side of the road twice, refused to take a breathalyser test three times and was “glassy eyed,” according to a police report which has emerged following his arrest.

Timberlake reportedly voiced his concern for how the arrest would affect his tour. Picture: Getty
Timberlake reportedly voiced his concern for how the arrest would affect his tour. Picture: Getty
The “young” policeman allegedly failed to recognise Timberlake. Picture: Getty
The “young” policeman allegedly failed to recognise Timberlake. Picture: Getty

A newly-released mugshot shows the star looking sheepish and glassy-eyed, while a report on NBC gives more details on the condition the officer found Timberlake in when they pulled him over: “[He] was operating said vehicle in an intoxicated condition in that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odour of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardised field sobriety tests”.

Timberlake, 43, shot to fame in the late 90s as a member of the boy band N*Sync, parlaying it into massive solo success with a string of hit albums in the early noughties.

But his musical fortunes have certainly faded more recently: His latest studio album, this year’s Everything I Thought It Was, peaked at number four in the US before quickly falling off the charts.

Here in Australia, it debuted at number 23 before dropping like a stone.

But the show must go on: Timberlake’s tour is scheduled to continue with two dates in Chicago later this week.

Originally published as Absolutely brutal detail in Justin Timberlake’s arrest

Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/absolutely-brutal-detail-in-justin-timberlakes-arrest/news-story/9af4b9f00083f8141aeebf018565cb9e