A rookie cop, town gossip and concert declaration: The fallout from Justin Timberlake's arrest continues.

Justin Timberlake has broken his silence over his DWI arrest.

Addressing the audience at his Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Chicago, the 43-year-old said: "We’ve been together through ups and downs, lefts and rights.

"It’s been a tough week, but you’re here and I’m here, and nothing can change this moment right now."

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While the singer didn't openly apologise for his behaviour, he did say: "I know sometimes I’m hard to love, but you keep on loving me and I love you right back. Thank you so much!"

What did Justin Timberlake do?

Justin Timberlake, once a beloved child star and boy band sensation, was arrested in Long Island on charges of driving while intoxicated, allegedly veering across the road through the village of Sag Harbour in the Hamptons. 

People reported the singer, was driving back from dinner at an upmarket restaurant when he was handcuffed and placed in police custody. 

Timberlake was pulled over after allegedly running a stop sign and swerving into the opposite lane. He was driving a 2025 BMW in Sag Harbor around 12:30am local time on Tuesday. The officer who stopped him determined he was under the influence, according to court documents sighted by CBS.

"His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odour of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot and he performed poorly on all standardised field sobriety tests," read the court papers.

Despite his claim of having only one martini, he was arrested and taken to an East Hampton police station, where he refused to take a breath test. 

Later that morning, he was released on bail and charged with a misdemeanour for driving while intoxicated (the American equivalent of a DUI). He is scheduled to appear in court on July 26.

A rookie cop and Hamptons town gossip.

Since Timberlake's arrest, there has been increased scrutiny on the young officer who pulled him over. 

The tale of the international pop star's arrest was made even more awkward because the policeman, Officer Michael Arkinson, 23, didn't recognise Timberlake's face or his name, per NY Post. 

While there's no denying Timberlake's enormous reach, Arkinson was simply too young when he was at his peak, having been a toddler when Bye Bye Bye reached the top of the charts.

Since the charges against Timberlake were announced, there has been an increase in town gossip making its way to the media. 

Per Page Six, local residents have said that Arkinson is a stickler for the rules, with a track record of stopping drivers. 

"I think Justin Timberlake was a victim of over-aggressive Sag Harbor police," a local who had also been pulled over by Arkinson told the Daily Mail.

Despite these rumours, Arkinson's reports show Timberlake repeatedly refusing to take a breathalyser.

The report continues that Timberlake muttered under his breath, "This is going to ruin the tour," upon his arrest. 

When the cop asked, "What tour?"

He simply responded, "The World Tour..."

It's not the first time the star has found himself in hot water.

Watch: Justin Timberlake and Zane Lowe on the Janet Jackson Incident. Post continues below.

Justin Timberlake's controversies: a timeline.

Justin Timberlake has been a household name for decades. He began his career on Star Search and The All New Mickey Mouse Club before forming 'NSYNC with fellow Mickey Mouse Club members JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick.

Timberlake's popularity soared, earning him the title of "the world's biggest male pop star" in the 2000s. He won multiple Grammy awards and released a string of chart-topping singles, solidifying his status as a public favourite.

Justin Timberlake was untouchable... until a string of controversies threatened to derail his image.

From his tumultuous relationship with Britney Spears to the infamous Super Bowl incident with Janet Jackson, let's revisit all the notable moments and scandals that have surrounded him. 

His relationship with Britney Spears.

Timberlake burst into music as one of two lead singers in '90s boy band 'NSYNC.  

He was the clear breakout star of the group, in small part for his looks, charisma, and talent but arguably in a much larger part because of his 1999 to 2002 relationship with pop superstar, Britney Spears.

By 2002, the band went their separate ways. Timberlake decided to pursue a solo career and his relationship with Spears fizzled out.

In the following years, Timberlake would spin a narrative about their split by releasing 'Cry Me a River', a biting revenge song assumedly about Spears that accused a woman of cheating on her partner. 

Britney became publicly hated, a scarring experience she documented in her 2023 memoir, The Woman In Me. "In the news media, I was described as a harlot who'd broken the heart of America's golden boy," she wrote. 

Spears was famously left in tears when Diane Sawyer told the singer on national TV “You broke his heart." 

Spears, who admitted in her memoir to cheating on Timberlake once by kissing a backup dancer, said that "there were a couple of times during our relationship when I knew Justin had cheated on me". 

She also alleged that she had underwent an abortion at the time, writing: "Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young." 

She continued: "I agreed not to have the baby. I don’t know if that was the right decision."

The 2004 Super Bowl incident involving Janet Jackson.

Then came a significant incident in 2004 when he headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show with Janet Jackson. During their performance of 'Rock Your Body,' Timberlake tore off part of Jackson’s costume, exposing her right breast.

Despite Timberlake being the one who exposed Jackson, she ultimately bore the brunt of the blame.

Jackson was banned from attending the 2004 Grammy Awards, while Timberlake was permitted to attend provided he issued an apology. That same year, he won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. This earned him monikers like 'Teflon Timberlake'.

In 2018, Timberlake was invited back to headline the Super Bowl. Speaking to Beats 1 about the scandal, he said: "I stumbled through it, to be quite honest. 

"I had my wires crossed and it’s just something that you have to look back on and go like, 'OK, well you know, you can’t change what’s happened, but you can move forward and learn from it.'"

His tone-deaf response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

In 2016, Justin tweeted a tone-deaf response to Black Lives Matter activist Jesse Williams' speech about police brutality, remarking that "we are the human race" which left online critics cringing. 

The tweet spurred people to take a retrospective look at how Timberlake had profited off the cultural appropriation of Black music, dance moves, and fashion for decades. Spears wrote in her memoir that she recalled Timberlake speaking with an accent during their relationship.

His public apology to wife Jessica Biel.

Timberlake and his wife Jessica Biel first crossed paths in 2007 before ultimately tying the knot in 2012. While the couple had gone through their ups and downs before walking down the aisle, in 2019, Timberlake was forced to make a public apology to Biel after he was pictured holding hands with his Palmer co-star Alisha Wainwright.

"I stay away from gossip as much as I can, but for my family I feel it is important to address recent rumours that are hurting the people I love," he wrote on Instagram. "A few weeks ago I displayed a strong lapse in judgment – but let me be clear – nothing happened between me and my co-star. 

"I drank way too much that night and I regret my behaviour. I should have known better. This is not the example I want to set for my son. I apologise to my amazing wife and family for putting them through such an embarrassing situation, and I am focused on being the best husband and father I can be. This was not that."

His public apology to Britney Spears.

By 2021, the narrative surrounding Timberlake had already begun to change, but it was his past relationship with Spears that became the breaking point. 

As the 'Free Britney' movement reached its peak and the Framing Britney Spears documentary exposed the abuse she had endured throughout her career, Timberlake found himself compelled to issue yet another public apology. 

"The industry is flawed. It sets men, especially white men, up for success. It’s designed this way. As a man in a privileged position, I have to be vocal about this," he wrote in a statement.

"Because of my ignorance, I didn’t recognise it for all that it was while it was happening." 

His sanitised apology wasn't taken very well, and things were made worse when he took a dig at her during a performance in New York City.

"I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise to absolutely f**king nobody," he told the crowd before singing Cry Me A River.

Spears had attempted to offer an 'olive branch' by posting to Instagram that she was "in love" with Timberlake's new track. But then following his comment, she posted an Instagram post that sounded a lot like it was directed at Timberlake.

"Someone told me someone was talking sh*t about me on the streets !!!," Spears wrote in a caption of an image of a basketball hoop. "Do you want to bring it to the court or will you go home crying to your mama like you did last time ???"

The bizarre outburst from Timberlake was met with venom online — especially from Spears' vocal and active fan base. With just one sentence, it looks like he swiftly ended his comeback, before it had even really begun.

Feature Image: Getty.

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