The body cam footage from Justin Timberlake's 2024 DWI arrest is now public - and it shows exactly what his legal team spent months and a court filing trying to prevent the world from seeing.
Timberlake filed suit against the Sag Harbor Village Police Department in early March, claiming the footage would cause "severe and irreparable harm" to his reputation and subject him to public ridicule. A judge initially granted a temporary block. Then on Friday, March 20, the block was lifted after both sides reached a settlement - with Timberlake agreeing that the footage "did not constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." TMZ published it first. Within hours, it was everywhere.
The arrest took place at 12:37 a.m. on June 18, 2024, after officers observed Timberlake running a stop sign and failing to stay in his lane for several blocks in Sag Harbor, New York. When officers approached, Timberlake told them he was "just following my friends back to my house." Asked what he was doing in the area, he replied: "I'm on a world tour. It's hard to explain. I'm Justin Timberlake."
The sobriety tests followed. Officers reported his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his breath smelled of alcohol, his speech was slowed, and he was unsteady on his feet. In the footage, Timberlake can be seen stumbling during the walk-and-turn test, telling officers "these are, like, really hard tests" and "my heart is racing." He declined to take a breathalyzer.
Then came the moment that is now being clipped and shared across every platform. Timberlake's friend Estee Stanley - an interior designer who had been out with him and her husband Bryan Furst that evening - arrived on the scene and, in near disbelief, asked officers: "Can you guys please just do me a favor 'cause you loved 'Bye Bye Bye' or 'Sexyback?' Do me one favor." It worked just enough - officers allowed her to briefly speak to Timberlake as he sat in the back of the police car before he was taken to the station.
Timberlake was initially charged with a misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated. He later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while ability impaired - an infraction - and was ordered to pay a $500 fine and perform 25 to 40 hours of community service. As part of that outcome, he recorded a public safety announcement. "This is a mistake that I've made, but I'm hoping whoever's watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake," Timberlake said. "Even one drink - don't get behind the wheel of a car."
That public statement of accountability is more than many in his position offer. For a community that believes in the possibility of owning your mistakes and doing better, it matters - even when the video is hard to watch.
The full footage spans approximately eight hours of material from the traffic stop and arrest. The version released publicly is partially redacted per the terms of the settlement between Timberlake's legal team and the Village of Sag Harbor.
