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Hamptons Resident Billy Joel Speaks Out After Justin Timberlake’s Sag Harbor DWI Arrest
Hamptons resident Billy Joel has spoken out following the DWI arrest of Justin Timberlake in Sag Harbor, New York, on Monday, June 17.
“Judge not lest ye be judged,” Billy, 74, told PIX11 News on Tuesday, June 18, while enjoying dinner at the American Hotel in town.
“I don’t really know him that much, so I have no comment,” he added.
The “Piano Man” crooner spends a lot of time in the Hamptons when he’s not performing for sold out crowds in Madison Square Garden. Billy purchased a $10.7 million home in the area this summer, per The New York Post. The move came after Billy put his Oyster Bay, Long Island, mansion on the market for $49 million earlier this year.
The Hamptons has long been a celebrity hub, with Billy’s ex-wife Christie Brinkley, Jerry Seinfeld, Brooke Shields, Gwyneth Paltrow and more stars owning homes in the coastal locale.
Justin, 43, was pulled over by the Sag Harbor Police Department after a night out with friends at the American Hotel on June 17. Cops were prompted to follow the “Mirror” singer’s car after he blew a stop sign and began swerving on the road following the get-together, per a police report obtained by TMZ.
“His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests,’’ the criminal report stated.
Justin failed his field sobriety tests and refused to take a chemical test of his blood alcohol content before cops determined he was “operating the vehicle in an intoxicated condition.” He was arrested on DWI-related charges and taken to the East Hampton Town Police Headquarters.
The singer-songwriter was arraigned in the Sag Harbor Village Justice Court on June 18 and released without bail on his own recognizance that day.
He was charged with one count of driving while intoxicated as well as two citations for running a stop sign and not traveling in the correct traffic lane. A virtual court date is scheduled for July 26. Justin’s lawyer, Ed Burke, spoke out following his client’s arrest.
“[We] look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these allegations,” he said in a statement to In Touch on Wednesday, June 19. “He will have a lot to say at the appropriate time.”
Justin, who shares kids Silas and Phineas with wife Jessica Biel, is currently in the middle of his Forget Tomorrow world tour to promote his album Everything I Thought It Was. Prior to his arrest, the Grammy winner performed in Miami, Florida, on June 15. He also has upcoming concert dates scheduled for Friday, June 21, and Saturday, June 22, in Chicago, as well as two concert dates in New York City on June 25 and June 26.
Billy wasn’t the only star to speak out after Justin’s arrest. Former GMA host T.J. Holmes called out those making “awful” jokes online about the singer after the incident.
“I know this dude’s kids have to see that and endure that,” T.J. said during an episode of the “Amy and T.J. Podcast” on Wednesday, June 19. “He’s a superstar, but he’s a dad.”
“I’m looking at a human being in a human experience that really sucks for him,” the broadcaster said, adding, “There is a human side always to these stories. [The social media] part sucks. As big as this star is, you know what the day is about to be like.”
