Justin Timberlake breaks his silence at Chicago tour stop: "It's been a tough week"

Just days after his arrest for allegedly driving while intoxicated, Justin Timberlake took the stage for the first of two concerts in Chicago. 

Between songs on Friday, he appeared to address the Sag Harbor arrest. Social media videos from the event show him addressing the audience. 

"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," he said, before bowing to cheering fans. 

“It’s been a tough week” - Justin Timberlake pic.twitter.com/rIp2LZpZHs

— Zach Moss (@zachlmoss) June 22, 2024

"I know I'm hard to love sometimes but you keep loving me right back," Timberlake added. 

Timberlake was arrested on Tuesday in Sag Harbor, Long Island. The singer was stopped at 12:37 a.m. local time after he allegedly drove through a stop sign, according to court documents reviewed by CBS News. Timberlake also allegedly failed to keep to the right side of the road, according to court documents. 

Timberlake allegedly told police that he had "one martini" and was following friends home, but the officer who pulled him over said that the singer was "in an intoxicated condition," with "bloodshot and glassy" eyes, and a "strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath." He also allegedly "performed poorly on all standard field sobriety tests." Documents reveal that Timberlake refused three breath tests. 

Timberlake was arrested and his mug shot was taken. Timberlake was arraigned on Tuesday morning and released on his recognizance. He will make a virtual appearance in court again on July 26, officials said. 

The Chicago concerts are his first public appearances since the arrest. The stops are part of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour, his first major tour in five years. He will play a second concert on Saturday night. 

In:
• Chicago
• Music
• DUI
• Justin Timberlake

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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