Justin Timberlake is not taking his arrest for DUI much seriously, a new report claimed.
“So, uh, is there anyone here tonight that’s driving — no, I’m just kidding,” he joked during his “Forget Tomorrow” world tour stop in Boston on June 29.
The “Not A Bad Thing” singer, who is 43 years old, and his wife, Jessica Biel, have been in the news ever since he was pulled over and charged with driving while intoxicated in Sag Harbor, New York, on June 18. Comments like that have kept him in the spotlight. He has entered a “Not Guilty” plea.
“The situation’s been a lot to deal with. While Justin has been touring the country, shrugging off his arrest, Jessica has been holding down the fort,” an unnamed source told Life & Style Magazine.
The actress who appeared in "Bleeding Heart" is presently working on a new series for Amazon called "The Better Sister." In addition, she is responsible for the care of Justin’s two young sons, Silas, who is 11 years old, and Phineas, who is currently three years old.
“Jessica has always been the heart of their family, and she loves being a mom. But her friends hate seeing her bogged down by all of this, especially when she has her own projects to focus on. They feel like Justin has been weighing Jessica down for years, honestly,” the anonymous insider stated.
Business Times has reached out to Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel for comments.
Meanwhile, Justin has been forced to slash the ticket prices for his latest run of gigs in the wake of his drink drive arrest. Fans could get an absolute bargain with some sites flogging tickets for as little as £7.
One venue in Kentucky in the US, Rupp Arena, had tickets on sale to see the star perform on his Forget Tomorrow World Tour for a mega-cheap price. All areas of the US venue appeared to have significantly reduced the cost of a ticket, with the cheapest currently going for an astonishing low of $9—the equivalent to £7.
X account Under Face Value further exposed that other sections of the arena had seats for similarly cheap prices including £9.30 and £18.60. The flop tour has failed to sell out any major arena in the US with tickets originally being priced at over $100.
Insiders fear tour struggles combined with the lack of commercial success for latest album Everything I Thought I Was are weighing heavily on Justin. “Selfish,” the first single from his sixth album, was released in January and peaked at just number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
It comes as the music star was arrested for driving under the influence in Sag Harbor, NY, earlier this year. Police said Justin ran a stop sign, swerved into another lane, smelled of alcohol, and refused to do a breathalyzer.
Justin is due in court on July 26—the same date that his Poland leg of the tour is set to begin.
He is said to have been apologetic to officers following his arrest and “owned” the situation. However, his wife, Jessica Biel, is said to be "colossally embarrassed" by it all.
“Justin's friends want him to take another extended break from music to focus on his health and wellbeing. He has felt intense pressure to compete with touring juggernauts like Beyonce and Taylor Swift—and his tour has barely sold in comparison,” an informant told The Sun.
The “SexyBack” singer recently had to cancel his June 8 concert in Columbia, South Carolina, without explanation. "Unfortunately, the event organizer has had to cancel your event,” Ticketmaster announced. It is not known if this is in connection to poor ticket sales.
