Justin Timberlake Shares Emotional Speech at Concert Following DWI Arrest: 'It's Been a Tough Week'

The pop singer is trying to restore his public persona since his arrest in New York earlier this week.

June 22, 2024

Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Live Nation

Justin Timberlake says he had a "tough week" following his recent DWI arrest and wanted fans to know.

On Tuesday (June 18), the Everything I Thought It Was singer was stopped in his 2025 BMW in New York for "operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition," placed under arrest, and held overnight. He was eventually released after his identity was confirmed.

Although Timberlake hasn't provided an official statement, albeit reportedly denying that he was heavily intoxicated, on the Chicago date of the Forget Tomorrow Tour, he briefly delivered an emotional speech before performing a sing-a-long.

"We’ve been together through ups and downs, lefts and rights. It’s been a tough week, but you’re here and I’m here, and nothing can change this moment right now," the teary-eyed 10-time Grammy award winner told the crowd.

He continued, "I know sometimes I’m hard to love, but you keep on loving me, and I love you right back."

At his arraignment, Timberlake was charged with one count of driving while intoxicated and allegedly refused to take a breathalyzer test three times. While the singer now faces a July 26 court date, some have mocked his arrest as karma for his alleged past mistreatment of pop icons Britney Spears and Janet Jackson.

"[J]ustin timberlake arrested with a mugshot while janet jackson is on a sold out tour," wrote one user on X, likely referring to the controversial moment when Timberlake ripped off part of her costume, revealing her breast during the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show in 2004. Jackson faced criticism and slut-shaming after the scandal, while Timberlake received much less backlash and recovered quickly.

"Society giving Justin Timberlake just an ounce of what they gave Britney Spears and he can’t handle it," another use wrote. Timberlake and Britney Spears broke up in 2002 amid reports of Spears’ alleged infidelity. Last year, Spears released a tell-all book, The Woman in Me, in which she said Timberlake urged her to abort the baby they had conceived together. She also claimed that Timberlake cheated on her.