Justin Timberlake’s high-profile lawyer broke his silence Wednesday following the has-been’s DWI arrest in the Hamptons.
“Mr. Burke looks forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these allegations,” a rep for attorney Edward Burke Jr said. “He will have a lot to say at the appropriate time. He is currently awaiting full discovery from the DA’s office.”
Justin Timberlake was ‘wasted’ and drinking other people’s drinks: witness https://t.co/PsZ4ND9tu4 pic.twitter.com/cqEUvX4XUI
— New York Post (@nypost) June 18, 2024
“He was wasted. At one point, just before closing, somebody got up to go to the bathroom and left his drink on the table,’’ the source said of the scene at the posh American Hotel in Sag Harbor, LI. “When [the man] came back, [Timberlake] was drinking his drink. “The guy goes, “Justin, that’s my drink!’’ the source said.
Justin Timberlake struggled with ‘real drinking problem’ for years, was ‘in a very dark place’: sources https://t.co/35SQ3knS3w pic.twitter.com/rH9Q638P83
— Page Six (@PageSix) June 18, 2024
“It’s not a secret. Everyone knows,” a music insider claims. “He has a real drinking problem, a lot of weed — but a major alcohol problem, and he’s been hiding and masking it for years.”
Another source, however, rebukes this and says Timberlake had not been drinking for a while prior to his DWI arrest Tuesday — and even lost weight and was living a healthier lifestyle, including cutting out drinking right before the tour.
The first source believes Timberlake’s alleged penchant for boozing “got to him” and that “everyone around him have been enablers.”
“It’s a real thing, and when you have a drinking problem, it’s apparent, yet they’ve pushed this tour on him, and he’s been a very dark place,” the insider alleges. Negative press had taken a toll on Timberlake, according to another source, who echoes, “He’s been in a dark place.”
They claim Justin was “drinking heavily” around the time the New York Times’ 2021 documentary on his ex Britney Spears was released. He started making changes to his team to help manage the backlash he received from Spears’ fans for his mistreatment of her during their relationship in the early aughts. “He was very concerned about his career and acting. People were very worried about him,” the insider claims.
A source close to Timberlake, however, insists he “has never been better.”
“He’s in great shape. His tour is sold out. He’s in a good space,” they say.
Britney Spears’ 2011 Single ‘Criminal’ Spiking amid Ex Justin Timberlake’s DWI Arrest https://t.co/PHYnRRLAst
— People (@people) June 19, 2024
At the time of the People publication, “Criminal” was No. 68 on the iTunes Pop Chart.
