NEW YORK — Justin Timberlake has taken legal action to prevent the release of police body camera footage related to his 2024 arrest for drunken driving in the Hamptons, New York. The pop star’s legal team is arguing that the video’s release would severely compromise his privacy by exposing “intimate, highly personal, and sensitive details.”
In a lawsuit filed on Monday against Sag Harbor village and its police department, Timberlake’s attorneys emphasized that making the footage public could inflict “severe and irreparable harm” to his reputation, leading to “public ridicule and harassment.” They highlighted that the video captures Timberlake in a particularly vulnerable state, showcasing details of his appearance, demeanor, speech, and conduct during field sobriety tests, the arrest itself, and his subsequent confinement over several hours.
During a hearing in state court in Riverhead, Judge Joseph Farneti did not make an immediate ruling. Instead, he requested that both parties discuss a potential resolution and report back later in the week, according to Vincent Toomey, legal counsel for Sag Harbor. As of now, Timberlake’s legal representatives have not responded to requests for comments on the matter.
“The footage at issue depicts Petitioner in an acutely vulnerable state during a roadside encounter with law enforcement, capturing intimate details of Petitioner’s physical appearance, demeanor, speech, and conduct during field sobriety testing, the subsequent arrest, and Petitioner’s confinement following arrest over the next several hours,” the lawsuit reads.
A judge didn’t immediately rule following a Monday hearing in state court in Riverhead, according to Vincent Toomey, a lawyer for Sag Harbor. Instead, Judge Joseph Farneti asked the two sides to confer on a possible resolution and report back later in the week, he said.
Timberlake’s lawyers didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
The NSYNC singer-turned-solo artist and actor pleaded guilty to impaired driving in September 2024. Police said he ran a stop sign in the village center, veered out of his lane and got out of his BMW smelling of alcohol that June.
The Tennessee native told officers he had had one martini and had been following some friends home in Sag Harbor, a former whaling village among the affluent beach towns of the Hamptons, some 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of New York City.
Timberlake agreed to give a public safety announcement against the perils of drunken driving as part of the plea deal that knocked down his initial misdemeanor charge to a noncriminal traffic violation. He was also sentenced to a $500 fine, 25 hours of community service and a 90-day suspension of his license.
“Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” Timberlake said following his court appearance. “This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have.”
In their suit, Timberlake’s lawyers say they were notified Sunday that village officials intended to release some of the footage, with certain redactions, to comply with public records requests.
They say the total footage runs roughly eight hours and includes Timberlake’s initial stop, police questioning, the administration of field sobriety tests and his arrest.
The Associated Press was among several media outlets that filed a records request seeking the release of the video.
Sag Harbor Mayor Thomas Gardella said village officials have carefully reviewed the footage to ensure nothing would be released that could put police or the public at risk.
“We’re trying to be as transparent as can be with this footage,” he said, noting that the state’s public records law generally requires release of police body camera footage.
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