Billy Joel cautions against quick judgments following Justin Timberlake’s DWI arrest in Sag Harbor. Learn more about the incident and Joel’s perspective.
Bollywood Fever: Music legend Billy Joel has urged people to refrain from passing judgment on Justin Timberlake following the pop star’s arrest for allegedly driving while intoxicated on Long Island this week.
“Judge not lest ye be judged,” Joel, 75, told PIX11 News on Tuesday afternoon, just hours after Timberlake, 43, was pulled over in Sag Harbor.
The “Piano Man” singer spoke to the outlet while dining at the American Hotel, where Timberlake had been seen partying before his arrest. The upscale venue is also a short walk from Joel’s home on Bay Street.
Police stopped Timberlake just after midnight on Tuesday, citing him for running a stop sign and failing to stay in his lane, court documents revealed. The “Sexy Back” singer, currently in the midst of a world tour with upcoming dates at Madison Square Garden, told officers he had “one martini” and followed his friends home.
Timberlake refused to take a Breathalyzer test three times and failed a field sobriety test, according to charging documents. A witness at the American Hotel told that the singer appeared “wasted” and even drank someone else’s beverage while its owner was in the restroom.
“When [the man] came back, [Timberlake] was drinking his drink. The guy goes, ‘Justin, that’s my drink!'” the source recounted.
Timberlake, who shares two children with his wife Jessica Biel, has previously acknowledged struggles with “excessive drinking.”
The “Mickey Mouse Club” alum is not the first celebrity to encounter legal issues in the Hamptons. In July 1992, Joel himself was arrested alongside a commercial fisherman during a protest against fishing regulations, although the charges were later dismissed.
Joel, who entered rehab for alcohol abuse in the early 2000s, also crashed his car into a tree in Sag Harbor in 2003. He was hospitalized but was never arrested or charged in connection with the incident.
Billy Joel’s reminder to avoid hasty judgments comes from personal experience and a place of empathy, highlighting the complexities behind public figures’ struggles.
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