‘Reckless’: TV host slammed for backing Timberlake
A popular TV host has copped flak for defending Justin Timberlake after his drink-driving charge as the owner of the bar where the star partied speaks out.
TV host Gayle King has been slammed for describing Timberlake as a “great guy” following his arrest for drink driving.King, who is the best friend of talk-show guru Oprah Winfrey, made her comments on the CBS Mornings show after a segment on the incident was aired.
“Justin Timberlake is a really, really great guy,” she said on the show.
“Listen, this was clearly a mistake. I bet nobody knows it more than he.”
King added that while the 43-year-old star’s actions were “stupid,” he was “not an irresponsible,” “reckless,” or a “careless” person.
She suggested, as singer Billy Joel did, that the public should not rush to judge Timberlake over the incident, during which he ran a stop sign in the ritzy village of Sag Harbor, New York, and refused three times to be breath-tested.
She did add, however, that “there is never any excuse for” driving drunk.
Joel, who is now sober after years of alcohol struggles and lives in the Hamptons near the scene of Timberlake’s arrest, commented on the incident by quoting a Bible verse.
“Judge not lest ye be judged,” Joel told PIX11 News while eating at the American Hotel, the exclusive hotspot where Timberlake was seen partying before getting behind the wheel.
King was slammed over her comments by angry social media users on X, with one describing Timberlake as “reckless and self-centred”.
“Hopefully no one you ever love gets hit by a drunk driver,” an angry social media user said in a message aimed at King.
“@GayleKing any adult getting behind the wheel after drinking is irresponsible.” another critic wrote. “Full stop. Mic drop. We teach teenagers the same. Celebs don’t get a pass.”
Someone else commented, “Maybe as a whole he’s not irresponsible but driving while drunk is an irresponsible act.”
As the fallout continued, the owner of the American Hotel, where Timberlake drank with friends before getting behind the wheel of his BMW, said the Sexy Back singer was welcome back any time as he was a model customer.
Ted Conklin told TMZ that Timberlake was a “great guest and a great guy”.
TIMBERLAKE ‘WILL HAVE A LOT TO SAY’: LAWYER
Timberlake has remained tight-lipped in the aftermath of his drink-driving arrest but his lawyer has spoken publicly and said he will fight on behalf of his client.
His defence lawyer, Edward Burke Jr, told TMZ, “[We] look forward to vigorously defending Mr Timberlake against these allegations. He will have a lot to say at the appropriate time.”
Mr Burke added, “He is currently awaiting full discovery from the DA’s office.”
It came as his wife Jessica Biel, who has stood by Timberlake during his previous controversies, was pictured looking tense while filming scenes in New York for her upcoming Amazon series, The Better Sister.
Biel, who has been married to Timberlake since 2012, looked downcast, Page Six reports.
An insider told The Sun the arrest could be a damaging blow to their already fragile marriage.
“Jessica will be colossally disappointed and embarrassed that once again, Justin is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons,” the source said.
“There’s going to be a lot of questions asked of Justin moving forward, without a doubt.
“He clearly has this self-destructive streak that keeps rearing its head.
“Jessica has shown the patience of a saint forgiving his various misdeeds over the past few years but this is really testing her patience and then some.”
The ten-time Grammy winner refused a breath test three times after allegedly swerving on to the wrong side of the road twice and running a stop sign after leaving the American Hotel.
A police report said the star appeared glassy-eyed, unsteady on his feet and slow in speech following his arrest in the billionaire playground of the Hamptons.
He was taken into custody and held overnight in a cell at East Hampton police station.
BRITNEY SHARES CRYPTIC POST
Timberlake’s former girlfriend Britney Spears broke her silence and shared a cryptic Instagram post in the wake of her ex’s arrest.
Just hours after Timberlake’s mugshot was released to media, the Princess of Pop posted a photo of what appeared to be a colourful alcoholic beverage, complete with a flower decoration and a cherry, as well as her bare legs as she relaxed by a pool.
“It’s the little things you know!!!” she wrote, including two rose emojis.
Spears, 42, also uploaded a video of herself posing in her “first cocktail dress ever”.
The Stronger singer was in a relationship with Timberlake from 1999 to 2002 and detailed their romance in her October 2023 memoir, The Woman in Me.
She has yet to comment directly on the incident.
TIMBERLAKE, BIEL FACE ONLINE BACKLASH
As details emerged of Timberlake’s wild night, angry social media users took to Instagram to vent their frustration.
One posted: “All the money you have, you couldn’t take an Uber and not put lives at risk”
Another said: “Shame on you for drinking and driving — you have all the money to have a driver.”
The Instagram page of Jessica Biel, the mother of Silas and Phineas, was also flooded with comments.
She posted a happy snap of Timberlake playing with their youngest child just two days ago in a post to mark Father’s Day in the US.
“You’re so many things to so many people. But to us you are THE ROCK,” Biel had written in a loving tribute.
“The Rock we climb on, we lean against. The Rock that shades us from the sun. And when we recline on you, as we always do, hopefully our butts will keep you eternally grounded and warm. We LOVE YOU.”
After the incident, one person wrote: “Yet showing a horrible example as a father drinking and driving … Why not show a better example for kids and people in general.”
Another posted: “How does he not have a driver or can’t call an Uber?? This is straight up stupidity at his age — how embarrassing for you”.
OFFICER ‘TOO YOUNG’ TO RECOGNISE TIMBERLAKE
The officer who pulled Timberlake over was so young he didn’t recognise the Grammy-winning star even when he told him his name, reported the New York Post.
“He didn’t recognise him or his name,” an insider claimed.
A second source added, “Justin said under his breath, ‘This is going to ruin the tour.’ The policeman replied, ‘What tour?’ Justin said, ‘The world tour.’”Despite telling officers he only had “one martini” according to court documents obtained by the New York Post, a witness told the outlet Timberlake was “wasted”.
“He was wasted. At one point, just before closing, somebody got up to go to the bathroom and left his drink on the table,” the witness aid.
“When [the man] came back, [Timberlake] was drinking his drink.
“The guy goes, ‘Justin, that’s my drink!’’’
A legal expert said Timberlake was likely to get just a slap on the wrist if he’s convicted of drunk driving.
Lawyer Michael Brown told the New York Post that Timberlake’s lawyer would likely make a bid for a lesser charge of driving while ability impaired.
“That’s a violation as opposed to a crime,” Mr Brown said, adding that the charge comes with a maximum penalty of 15 days in jail, but noting “It won’t happen. What will happen is a fine of up to $500 dollars ($A750).”
Originally published as ‘Reckless’: TV host slammed for backing Timberlake
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