Justin Timberlake has been mercilessly mocked for the lengthy speech he gave outside a Sag Harbor courthouse after pleading guilty to drunk driving following his arrest on June 18.
The 43-year-old singer appeared somber as he spoke to reporters in the Hamptons on Friday after being given a $500 fine and 25 hours of community service. He urged people not to “get behind the wheel of a car” if they’ve had “one drink.”
After watching his speech, viewers immediately shared their thoughts on X, formerly known as Twitter. One person said, “I don’t know who this Timberlake clown is, but if you do something wrong, just admit it and say you’re sorry.
“But stop with the moral lectures. You are the last person qualified to give moral lectures to others,” they added.
Another person fumed: ‘Justin Timberlake you are not an actor and I see right through your little bullshit speech,’ while a third wrote: ‘Justin Timberlake holds a press conference with tears in his eyes about his one DUI charge like we care. He really thinks this is the year 2000.’
Justin Timberlake has been mercilessly mocked for a speech he made outside a courthouse in Sag Harbor on Friday
The singer was arrested on June 18 in the Hamptons and pleaded guilty to drunk driving.
Someone else sarcastically said, “Justin Timberlake was very convincingly remorseful when he gave his speech after leaving court,” and another person wrote, “Justin Timberlake’s advice not to drive after drinking rings hollow given his own drunk driving incident. Actions speak louder.”
When a clip of his speech was shared on TikTok, people continued to mock the star. One person said: “Lol preaching after he got caught,” while another joked: “Thanks Justin, you changed my life with this insightful information.”
Others, however, defended Timberlake. One wrote, “Thanks Justin Timberlake for taking this on,” while another said, “I can appreciate and respect Justin Timberlake for taking responsibility for his irresponsible driving.”
“In a world of complete lack of accountability, this was rare. Whether the court ordered it or not, he did it anyway! Thank you,” they added.
Dressed in a dark gray T-shirt and matching sweater, Timberlake told the crowd, “A lot of you have probably followed me for a good portion of my life, and as you may know, I try to hold myself to a very high standard. This was not that.
‘I was in a position where I could have made a different decision, but I’ve had time to think about it and I also understand that I have a platform, you have a platform – we share that platform – so what I would say to everyone watching and listening is, if you’ve had one drink, do not get behind the wheel of a car.’
He continued, “There are so many alternatives, call a friend, take an Uber, take a cab. This is a mistake I made, but I hope everyone watching and listening can learn from this mistake. And like I said, even if you only have one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car.
“I grew up in a small town, so I can imagine and understand how hard this must have been for the people of Sag Harbor. I am so grateful and thankful to everyone involved.”
People soon began to mock his speech, as someone on X described it as ‘teary-eyed’
One person claimed Timberlake’s speech was “bullshit” and said he was “not an actor”
Someone else called Timberlake a “clown” and described his speech as a “moral sermon”
During his speech, Timberlake talked about alternatives to driving, such as taking Uber or calling a friend
As part of his settlement agreement, Timberlake promised to make a public statement about the dangers of drunk driving
The pop star added: ‘I guess in closing I just want to say we can all be safer out there and I’m going to do my bit, I hope everyone does their bit. Thank you very much.’
As part of his settlement, Timberlake agreed to make a public statement about the dangers of drunk driving.
Judge Carl Irace initially expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed statement and preferred a public announcement.
Ultimately, however, he accepted the deal under certain conditions.
Timberlake’s attorney, Edward Burke Jr., also spoke to reporters outside the Sag Harbor courthouse, saying, “My client had one drink in a two-hour period at the American Hotel, and contrary to reports, he did not drink other people’s drinks and was not warned ahead of time not to drive.
“He was not rude, obnoxious, combative. He was polite and respectful throughout his entire encounter with law enforcement, as they were with him,” he added.