Justin Timberlake’s Defense Before Spending 9 Hours in Cell For DWI: ‘I Had One Martini’

Justin Timberlake was forced to spend nine hours in a Hamptons jail early Tuesday morning after he was arrested for driving his BMW while allegedly intoxicated.

The Sag Harbor Police Department confirmed to The Daily Beast that the 43-year-old singer was arrested at 12:37 a.m. on Tuesday for failing to stop his 2025 BMW southbound at a stop sign “and failing to maintain his lane of travel” in the Long Island village. Timberlake was arrested after refusing three times to take a chemical test—even though cops say he appeared to be drunk and had bloodshot, glassy eyes, according to a criminal complaint.

“I had one martini and I followed my friends home,” Timberlake allegedly told cops, the complaint states.

The complaint also states that he was unsteady and couldn’t focus on speaking with officers while looking for his car registration. He was then taken to the Sag Village Police Department for processing, where he refused a request to test his blood alcohol content and was held overnight at another police headquarters. At 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, he was arraigned for driving while intoxicated and released on his own recognizance.

The New York Post captured Timberlake leaving the Sag Harbor Village Justice Court in a grey graphic t-shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap. The Daily Mail also captured photos of Timberlake in handcuffs, leaving the police station.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to The Daily Beast that he will return to court on July 26.

The Daily Beast has contacted Timberlake’s representatives for comment. In a statement to Us Weekly, Timberlake’s lawyer, Ed Burke, insisted that “the charge was a single count because he refused the breath test” and that the singer was “also charged with two other court citations, running a stop sign, and not traveling in the correct traffic lane.” The lawyer, however, did not provide further information.

The NSYNC star performed in Miami over the weekend as part of his “Forget Tomorrow World Tour” for his sixth album. On Sunday, Timberlake posted photos of his two sons—9-year-old Silas and 3-year-old Phineas—with Jessica Biel in honor of Father’s Day.

“My 2 greatest gifts. I learn more about myself everyday just because you both chose me to be your Daddy,” he captioned the post. “I will always be there for you through your peaks and valleys… to lift you up and show you how high you can take this life and to pick you up when you fall. And, of course, to flood you with insufferable Dad-jokes all along the way. I love you both so much. Thank you for giving me my biggest purpose.

“Now… for today: let’s play a game where we all just chill and let Dad watch the final round of The US Open,” he added. “Cheers to all the Dads out there Dad-ing! I salute you!”

Biel, 42, also gushed about her husband of 12 years in her own Instagram Father’s Day post, calling Timberlake the family’s “rock.”

The next day, Timberlake met friends at the American Hotel on Monday night before dinner and partying, according to TMZ. The hotel is a notable hotspot for celebrities in the luxury Long Island summer spot.

“There were cops stationed outside where he was having dinner,” a source told the New York Post.

TMZ reported that Timberlake failed a field sobriety test when he was asked to do a one-legged stand. “A traffic stop was initiated by a Police Officer from the Sag Harbor Village Police Department, and upon investigation, it was determined that Mr. Timberlake was operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition,” police told The Daily Beast. “Mr. Timberlake was placed under arrest, processed, and held overnight for morning arraignment.”

The 10-time Grammy-winner is scheduled to play two shows in Chicago on Friday and Saturday before traveling to New York City for a pair of concerts at Madison Square Garden next week before taking the tour internationally.

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