Timberlake Stumbled Through Sobriety Tests as Arrest Footage Finally Released

Body camera footage from Justin Timberlake's June 18, 2024, arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in Sag Harbor was released to media Friday after a legal agreement between the singer's attorneys and the Village of Sag Harbor, court records show. The footage, partially redacted, captures nearly 18 minutes of a celebrity encounter that produced one of last year's most viral mugshots and now adds a far more unsettling dimension to the public record.

The footage opens with a Sag Harbor officer explaining the reason for the stop. "So the reason for your stop is 'cause of, you're veering off to the left and then you're not stopping at the stop signs," the officer says. Timberlake's reply was immediate and subdued: "Yeah, sorry about that." He told the officer he was driving a rental vehicle and that he was "on tour."

What followed was a series of standard field sobriety tests that Timberlake visibly struggled to complete. He stumbled several times attempting to walk a straight line and could not complete the one-leg-raise test. Throughout, he repeatedly apologized to officers and offered explanations. "These are like really hard tests," he told them. "I'm sorry. I'm a little nervous." At one point he placed a hand on his chest and said, "Sorry, my heart is racing."

One officer, seemingly caught off guard, asked a colleague, "You're Justin Timberlake?" A female companion who had been with Timberlake was told she was free to go but was captured on camera making a desperate plea to officers: "Justin Timberlake's under arrest? Can you help me, please? Can we do anything? Can you please stop it? I'll do anything."

Timberlake was handcuffed and placed in the back of a patrol car before being transported to the station for processing. At the station, he was unshackled from full handcuffs and seated at a desk with his left hand secured. When officers later asked whether he had sustained any injuries, he replied, "Only from boys like ... putting these cuffs on me like for no reason. But other than that, no, I'm good."

He refused to submit to a chemical test to determine the alcohol or drug content in his blood. Portions of the station footage, including scenes of officers completing paperwork with Timberlake, are blurred and the audio muted in the released version.

The footage's path to release was itself contentious. Timberlake's legal team had filed a lawsuit against the Village of Sag Harbor to block the footage after a Freedom of Information Law request was filed, arguing the video showed him "in an acutely vulnerable state" and that its release "would cause severe and irreparable harm" to his reputation. The two sides ultimately reached an agreement to release a partially redacted version, court records show.

TMZ, which reported it obtained and posted the footage, also reported that Timberlake later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge that did not involve drunk driving or a criminal offense, instead copping to a traffic violation. That account has not been independently confirmed by court records reviewed for this article.

Following the arrest, Timberlake issued a public statement acknowledging the incident. "This is a mistake that I've made, but I'm hoping whoever's watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake," he said. "Even one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car."

The footage ensures that the night of June 18, 2024, will remain part of his public story long after the legal matter was resolved.