Justin Timberlake has called on the public to “call a friend or take an Uber” if they have been drinking after he pleaded guilty to driving while impaired following his arrest in June.
The 43-year-old appeared in person at Sag Harbor Village Court in the Hamptons, New York state, on Friday to enter the new plea, a lesser charge compared to driving while intoxicated, which he denied last month.
The judge sentenced Timberlake to a $500 (£380) fine with a $260 surcharge and 25 hours of community service at the nonprofit of his choosing for the non-criminal traffic violation.
After the sentencing, the singer said “even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car”.
He added: “There are so many alternatives. You can call a friend [or] take an Uber.”
The 10-time Grammy winner added: “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.”
The Cry Me A River singer was arrested in the early hours of 18 June after police said he failed to stop at a stop sign and could not stay in his lane while driving in Long Island, New York state.
Justin Timberlake. Pic: Sag Harbor/Reuters
Court documents stated his eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” and that he “performed poorly on all standardised field sobriety tests”.
During the proceedings, the singer remained standing throughout. He said he grew up in a small town and appreciated the kind of strain his arrest has made on Sag Harbor.
Timberlake pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of impaired driving. Pic: Reuters
He said he has had a lot of time to reflect on his actions. “I did not live up to the standards that I try to hold for myself,” he said, adding he is “grateful for the opportunity to move forward” and use his platform to hopefully help others make “better decisions”.
“I should’ve had better judgment,” he said to the judge. “I understand the seriousness of this.”
Timberlake, who had his licence suspended last month, had previously pleaded not guilty to the greater charge of driving while intoxicated, which can incur penalties including jail time and fines up to $2,000 (£1,520) for a first offence.
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Timberlake with his wife Jessica Biel earlier this year. Pic: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Timberlake, who allegedly refused to take a breath test following his arrest, strongly denied the allegations.
His lawyer Edward Burke has maintained that Timberlake was not drunk.
The singer had reportedly been having dinner with friends before he left a restaurant and was pulled over by police.
A child star, Timberlake performed as a young Disney Mouseketeer alongside Britney Spears – who he later famously dated – Ryan Gosling and Christina Aguilera.
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In 1995, he became part of NSYNC – one of the best-selling boy bands of all time – and embarked on a solo recording career in the early 2000s.
Timberlake is married to actress Jessica Biel and the couple have two sons together.
Hot off the heels of his European tour, Timberlake is due to appear as a guest on US chat show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night.
