Justin Timberlake was accused of having “no shame” on social media after he joked on a talk show Monday and failed to mention his recent drunk driving plea deal.
The 43-year-old singer made his first talk show appearance since pleading guilty to a lesser charge on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Fallon, 49, and Timberlake have been friends for years, and their conversation surprisingly did not mention Timberlake’s recent legal troubles.
Their lighthearted interview was noticed on social media, with a post on X criticizing the singer.
“Justin Timberlake shamelessly appearing on Jimmy Fallon and getting away with nothing but a parking ticket is privilege at its finest!! #FallonTonight,” the post read.
Justin Timberlake was accused of having “no shame” on social media after he joked on a talk show Monday without mentioning his recent drunk driving plea deal
Others in the comments on an Instagram post from the talk show mocked Timberlake for his arrest in the Hamptons earlier this year.
“Make sure he doesn’t drive himself,” was one comment.
Timberlake took the talk show stage and showed off his dance moves, after which Fallon congratulated him on his ongoing Forget Tomorrow World Tour.
Fallon mentioned the second North American leg of the tour, which kicks off October 4 in Montreal, and noted that Timberlake has added 10 shows to the tour.
Timberlake jokingly invited Fallon to open his upcoming performance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but Fallon said he only went to the concert to support his good friend.
“I’m gonna scream,” Fallon said.
Fallon steered the conversation to talk about the duet they recorded for Fallon’s upcoming Christmas album. They treated the audience to a quick preview of the song You’ll Be There.
Timberlake and Fallon also played a fun game called Playlist Playoff, where they had to choose the best songs for different situations.
The 43-year-old singer made his first talk show appearance since pleading guilty to a lesser charge on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and danced around with Jimmy
Their lighthearted interview was noticed on social media with a post on X criticizing the singer
Others in the comments section of an Instagram post from the talk show mocked Timberlake for his arrest in the Hamptons earlier this year
Another post wondered if Timberlake was getting community service
Fallon laughed as he watched his good friend Timberlake on the NBC talk show
Questlove of the house band The Roots declared Timberlake the winner.
Timberlake pleaded guilty Friday in Sag Harbor, New York, to driving under the influence as part of a plea agreement that reduced the misdemeanor charge he was facing to a noncriminal traffic violation. The boy band singer turned solo star and actor was also ordered to pay a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge, perform 25 hours of community service at a nonprofit organization of his choice and have his driver’s license suspended for 90 days.
“I try to hold myself to a high standard, and this wasn’t that,” Timberlake told reporters and other onlookers after the hearing in the adjacent Sag Harbor Village Courthouse.
“Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” he said. “There are so many alternatives. Call a friend. Take an Uber. There are a lot of travel apps. At least take a cab. This is a mistake that I made, but I hope that everyone watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know I certainly did.”
Timberlake was arrested on June 18 after he ran a stop sign in the town center, drifted out of his lane and got out of his BMW while smelling of alcohol, according to police.
According to police, the Tennessee resident told the officer he had one martini and was following some friends home. He initially pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence.
Timberlake told the court that he has had significant time to reflect on his actions and that he is “grateful for the opportunity to move on” and use his platform to hopefully help others make “better decisions.”
“I should have made better judgments,” he told the judge. “I understand the seriousness of this.”
Edward Burke Jr., Timberlake’s attorney, said outside court Friday after the hearing that his client had only had one drink in the two hours he was at the American Hotel before he was arrested.
“Contrary to reports, he did not consume other people’s drinks and was not warned in advance not to drive,” Burke said, adding that the lesser charge Timberlake filed “is consistent with these facts.”
At one point during the hearing, Timberlake promised Judge Carl Irace that he wouldn’t “go back” driving after drinking again. The judge, who had an otherwise serious tone, playfully interrupted him: “But come back to Sag Harbor! It’s a great place.”