NEW YORK – Justin Timberlake was arrested early Tuesday and is accused of driving while intoxicated on New York’s Long Island. He was released and his next court date is scheduled for July 26, according to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office. Timberlake and his representatives have not commented.
Here’s what you need to know about the 43-year-old singer:
From boy band to R&B
Timberlake began his career at 12, starring in Disney’s “The All-New Mickey Mouse Club” alongside future girlfriend Britney Spears. In 1995, he became a leading presence in what turned into one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, NSYNC.
In 2000, their “No Strings Attached” album sold more than 1.1 million copies in its first day and more than 2.4 million in its first week. That set a world record for more than a decade.
In 2002, the band went on a hiatus that became permanent. Timberlake launched a blockbuster solo career with hits like “SexyBack,” “What Goes Around…Comes Around” and “Suit & Tie.”
His solo debut, the Grammy-award winning “Justified,” was followed by critically acclaimed R&B-pop records including 2006’s “FutureSex/LoveSounds.” It wasn’t until 2018’s folk detour, “Man of the Woods,” that Timberlake’s popularity began to falter.
In March, he released his first new album in six years, the nostalgic “Everything I Thought It Was,” a return to his familiar future funk sound.
On screen and on stage
Timberlake has starred in a number of films and is best known for his role of Sean Parker in the Oscar-award winning “The Social Network” and for starring with Mila Kunis in the 2011 rom-com, “Friends with Benefits.” Since 2016, he has had a leading role in the animated “Trolls” franchise as the voice of Branch.
He has won 10 Grammys. In 2017, he was nominated for an Oscar for his song “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” from “Trolls.” He has won four Emmys for his various contributions to “Saturday Night Live.”
In April, Timberlake kicked off his “The Forget Tomorrow” world tour, which runs through Dec. 20. He is scheduled to perform in Chicago on Friday before heading to New York City’s Madison Square Garden next week. It is not immediately clear whether his arrest will affect the tour.
The personal and the public
Timberlake grew up in Tennessee, raised by his mother, Lynn Harless — who is credited with coining the NSYNC name — and his stepfather, Paul Harless, a Baptist church choir director.
In 2012, Timberlake married actress Jessica Biel. They have two sons together. In 2019, Timberlake publicly apologized to Biel after he was seen holding hands with actress Alisha Wainwright. He wrote on Instagram that “for my family I feel it is important to address recent rumors that are hurting the people I love.”
In 2004, Timberlake performed with Janet Jackson during the Super Bowl. Part of their choreography included a moment where Timberlake grabbed her chest. The move was supposed to reveal additional fabric but instead exposed her right breast in one of television’s most infamous wardrobe malfunctions. Jackson was barred a week later from the Grammy telecast, causing an outcry.
In 2021, Timberlake featured in the documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” a result of the “Free Britney” movement. Timberlake and Spears dated around the turn of the millennium. When they ended things, Timberlake portrayed himself as the victim. Spears became the subject of vitriolic press, suffering the consequences of his publicity. Spears’ 2023 memoir, “The Woman in Me,” devotes several chapters to their relationship, including deeply personal details.
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