Earlier today, Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired, in connection to his incident in the Hamptons in June. Now, Timberlake has offered a public statement.
After entering his plea, Timberlake spoke to reporters outside the courthouse (find a video of that here), saying:
“Many of you have probably been covering me for a lot of my life, and as you may know, I try to hold myself to a very high standard for myself. And this was not that. This was not that. I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision, but I’ve had some time to reflect on that. And I also understand by, you know, the fact that all of you are here, that I have a platform, you have a platform. We share that platform.
And so what I’d like to say to everyone watching and listening: Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car. There’s so many alternatives. Call a friend, take an Uber, there’s many travel apps. Take a taxi. This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever’s watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have. And like I said: Even one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car. […]
I grew up in a small town, so I can appreciate and understand the strained or unique nature that this must have been on the people of Sag Harbor, but I just want to say to everyone who’s been involved — from everyone in the courtroom to everyone outside, including the police department — that I’m very grateful and I thank them. I guess in closing, I’d like to say we can all be more safe out there, and I’m going to do my part. I hope that everyone else does their part, and thank you very much.”
Timberlake also agreed to do 25 to 40 hours of community service and pay a fine that had yet to be revealed.