Justin Timberlake files lawsuit to stop release of bodycam footage from drink driving arrest

Justin Timberlake is pursuing legal action to block the release of bodycam footage from his 2024 drink-driving arrest.

The SexyBack singer’s lawyers said the release of the tape would “devastate” his privacy by revealing “intimate, highly personal, and sensitive details”, the Associated Press reported.

Police said the popstar drove through a stop sign and swerved his BMW into neighbouring lanes in the exclusive village of Sag Harbour near New York in June 2024.

Timberlake allegedly told officers he had consumed one martini and had been following friends home.

According to the Associated Press, lawyers for the 45-year-old argued that the release of the footage would result in “severe and irreparable harm” to his reputation.

The lawsuit, which is against the village of Sag Harbour and its police department, also claimed the footage would leave Timberlake vulnerable to “public ridicule and harassment”.

“The footage at issue depicts Petitioner in an acutely vulnerable state during a roadside encounter with law enforcement, capturing intimate details of Petitioner’s physical appearance, demeanour, speech, and conduct during field sobriety testing, the subsequent arrest, and Petitioner’s confinement following arrest over the next several hours,” the lawsuit said.

Lawyer for Sag Harbour, Vince Toomey told the Associated Press today that the judge did not rule in matter, instead asking the parties to return later this week after discussing potential resolutions.

Timberlake pleaded guilty to impaired driving in September 2024 and was ordered to pay a US$500 ($840) fine, serve 25 hours community service, and have his licence suspended for 90 days, according to the Associated Press.

The singer also negotiated a plea deal which would downgrade his misdemeanour charge to a noncriminal traffic violation if he participated in a public safety announcement warning people of the dangers of drink driving.

“Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” he said after his court case.

“This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have.”

Timberlake’s lawyers advised in their lawsuit that they were only made aware at the weekend of Sag Harbour officials’ intention to release the footage, to fulfil a public record request, according to the Associated Press.

They claimed the tape has a runtime of about eight hours, including footage of Timberlake being pulled over, facing police questions, completing a field sobriety test, and being arrested.

Sag Harbour Mayor Thomas Gardella said local authorities were trying to be “transparent”, saying they had combed through the footage to ensure its release did not create any risk to police or the public.

He explained that police bodycam footage is routinely released in accordance with public records laws, the Associated Press reported.