Justin Timberlake made his return to the stage in Chicago on Friday, June 21, as part of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour, just days after facing legal troubles for driving while intoxicated.
According to an eyewitness speaking to Us Weekly, the singer, 43, took to the United Center stage and addressed the recent events, saying, “It’s been a challenging week. I know I can be challenging to love at times, but you all keep loving me, and I appreciate and love you for that.”
Earlier, it was confirmed that Timberlake had been arrested in the Hamptons on Tuesday, June 18, by the Sag Harbor Police Department. A statement from the department noted that Timberlake had failed to stop at a posted stop sign and maintain his lane of travel. Upon investigation, it was determined that he was operating his vehicle while intoxicated and was subsequently arrested and held overnight for arraignment.
At his arraignment, Timberlake was charged with one count of driving while intoxicated and given a court date of July 26. His lawyer, Ed Burke, clarified that the single count was due to Timberlake’s refusal to take a breath test. Additionally, he was cited for two other traffic violations.
Court documents obtained by CNN provided further details, stating that Timberlake admitted to having “one martini” and that he exhibited signs of intoxication, including bloodshot and glassy eyes, slowed speech, and an unsteady gait. He also declined to take a breathalyzer test on multiple occasions.
The Forget Tomorrow World Tour, Timberlake’s first in five years, commenced in Vancouver in April and is in support of his sixth studio album, Everything I Thought It Was. The tour is set to continue through December, with upcoming performances at United Center in Chicago and Madison Square Garden in New York, before concluding in Kansas City.
Meanwhile, Timberlake’s wife, Jessica Biel, with whom he shares two sons, appeared unperturbed by the recent events as she was spotted filming her upcoming show, The Better Sister, in New York City on Tuesday.
In a recent appearance on The View, Biel, 42, described her marriage to Timberlake as a “work in progress,” acknowledging the challenges of balancing their busy schedules and the added complication of his ongoing tour. She expressed her exhaustion and the difficulty of navigating their dynamic but remained confident that they would “get through it.”
The incident and its aftermath highlight the challenges faced by celebrities in the public eye and the impact of their actions on their personal and professional lives.
