Justin Timberlake thanks fans for 'riding with me' at second concert following DWI arrest
Justin Timberlake is grateful for his fans following his DWI arrest.
After briefly admitting "it’s been a tough week" at his concert Friday in Chicago, on Saturday night, Timberlake expanded on his gratitude, without directly mentioning his arrest.
"This [tour] is just something that keeps watching over me, more so on this tour than any other," the singer said, according to People. "And that's that mostly all of us here in this room tonight, in this arena tonight, have grown up together. So many of you come up to me and say, 'I grew up with you, man.'"
"... I want each and every one of you to know I've grown up with you," he continued. "You have been such a big and beautiful part of my life and sometimes I can't find the words to show my gratitude that you guys just keep riding with me and riding with me."
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE BREAKS SILENCE ON DWI ARREST AT CHICAGO CONCERT
He also noted, per the outlet, that whether someone was a fan from his *NSYNC days or his solo work, he appreciated they’re support, thanking them for being "here right now and I just wanna say you guys keep loving me and coming back and spending and sharing this experience with me."
"And from the bottom of my heart, I want you to know that until I'm somewhere off this earth, I will never forget each and every one of you," Timberlake said. "You made my life so special. And tonight in Chicago, you have made us feel loved."
Saturday was Timberlake’s second night at Chicago’s United Center, and his 22nd overall show on his Forget Tomorrow World Tour.
During Friday’s concert, his first appearance on stage following his arrest, he told the audience, "It’s been a tough week," adding, "I know I'm hard to love sometimes but you keep loving me right back."
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He has two upcoming shows on June 25 and June 26 at New York City's Madison Square Garden, per his tour schedule.
Timberlake was arrested in his gray 2025 BMW in Sag Harbor on Long Island around 12:15 a.m. on June 18. He failed to stop at a stop sign and was unable to stay in the right lane before he was pulled over, then "performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests," according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
He was described as having "bloodshot and glossy" eyes, a "strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath" and he was "unable to divide attention," per the documents. He also exhibited "slowed speech" and was "unsteady afoot" and performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests.
According to the documents, Timberlake said he’d only had one martini and was following some friends home. After his arrest, he was taken to a police station in nearby East Hampton, where he refused a breathalyzer test.
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Page Six reported that the Sag Harbor police officer who pulled Timberlake over said he didn't know who the singer was or recognize his name. As captured on body camera footage, the officer allegedly responded, "What tour?" when the performer said under his breath that the arrest was "going to ruin the tour."
The "Sexy Back" singer was charged with one count of driving while intoxicated along with citations for failure to keep right and failure to stop at a stop sign, the district attorney's office confirmed to Fox News. He is expected to appear virtually for his first court hearing in the matter on July 26.
On Wednesday, Timberlake's lawyer, Ed Burke, commented on his client's arrest, telling Fox News Digital, "I look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake on these allegations. I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time but am currently awaiting full discovery from the District Attorney’s office."
Fox News Digital's Christina Coulter, Lauryn Overhultz, and Caroline Thayer contributed to this report.