Gayle King has defended Justin Timberlake after he was arrested for drunk driving in the Hamptons.
The 69-year-old talk show host addressed the singer's DWI charge during Wednesday's episode of CBS Mornings. During the conversation with his colleagues, King praised Timberlake as a person, while expressing that he was still to blame for driving while intoxicated.
“Justin Timberlake is a really great guy. This is clearly a mistake, I bet no one knows it but him,” he explained.
He then reiterated that he would not criticize Timberlake's character. “He's not an irresponsible person,” King added. “He is not reckless. He is not careless. Clearly, this is not a good thing. He knows.”
King then recalled how Billy Joel spoke to Photo 11 News about the situation, with the singer saying: “Judge not lest ye be judged.” Joel also noted that he “didn't really know much” about Timberlake's DWI arrest, so he “had no comment.”
“I love when Billy Joel got pulled over and Billy Joel said, 'You know, wait, not everyone judges this particular moment,'” King said in CBS Mornings.
However, he noted that he was not excusing Timberlake for his behavior. “Listen, drunk driving, there's never an excuse for that,” she concluded. “Ever.”
Timberlake was arrested for driving while intoxicated at 12:17 a.m. on June 18 in Sag Harbor, New York. The police said TMZ that the star was partying at the American Hotel and ran a stop sign when he left. Police began following him and stopped him when he began to swerve.
However, the pop star claimed that when he was arrested, he had only consumed “one martini.” The New York Post He also reported that the unnamed officer who arrested him “was so young he didn't even know” who Timberlake was.
NSYNC's lead singer failed a field sobriety test and reportedly refused to submit to a breathalyzer. Officers said they looked at Timberlake with glassy eyes and smelled alcohol on his breath. He appeared in a Long Island court on June 18 and was released without bail. He is due back in court on July 26.
On June 19, the singer's attorney, Edward Burke Jr, released a statement, noting that he will speak soon about Timberlake's DWI charge.
“Mr. Burke looks forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these allegations,” said the statement, obtained by People, read. “He will have a lot to say at the right time. “He is currently awaiting full discovery from the district attorney’s office.”
The DWI charge was presented as Timberlake's on his “The Forget Tomorrow World Tour.” He is still scheduled to perform in Chicago on June 21 and 22, before performing two shows in New York City on June 25 and 26.
