When a celebrity finds themselves in trouble after an arrest tied to alcohol or drugs, the first step is usually rehab. That doesn’t seem to be the PR strategy Justin Timberlake is taking after his DWI arrest on Tuesday, June 18, he and his lawyer Edward Burke Jr. are taking a surprising route.
It will be business as usual for the “Cry Me a River” singer with his Chicago concerts, scheduled at the United Center, going on as planned for Friday and Saturday. According to TMZ, Timberlake is stepping outside of the “typical celeb playbook” because he has “no prior arrest record” and “he has no history of drinking irresponsibly” — although plenty of sources would beg to differ.
The 43-year-old musician’s attorney shared a strong statement with Page Six that indicates they are not taking this arrest lightly — they are ready to fight back. “Mr. Burke looks forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these allegations. He will have a lot to say at the appropriate time. He is currently awaiting full discovery from the DA’s office,” the statement reads.
TMZ’s sources say Timberlake is “pushing forward professionally,” and his world tour was definitely on his mind after he was charged with one count of driving while intoxicated along with two traffic violations. A Page Six insider revealed that the young cop didn’t even “recognize him or his name.” A second source shared, “Justin said under his breath, ‘This is going to ruin the tour.’ The cop replied, ‘What tour?’ Justin said, ‘The world tour.’” With the tour running through the end of 2024 in the U.S. and Europe, Timberlake doesn’t want to disrupt his flow — a plea deal may be likely if they can work things out with the prosecutors.
As for Timberlake’s wife, Jessica Biel, she continued to film in Manhattan and looked unbothered by the paparazzi taking her on-set snapshots. Behind the scenes, a pal told People that “she’s not happy” about the unfolding events. “She doesn’t like any attention on the family, especially not negative,” they added while pointing out that she “will always be by his side.” These aren’t the headlines Timberlake wanted in the middle of his tour, but it looks like he and his lawyer have a plan to make his arrest just a bump in the road.
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