Justin Timberlake joked about his race while in police custody following his arrest on a DWI charge in June 2024, according to newly released bodycam footage.
The footage, released by the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), shows the 45-year-old singer reviewing paperwork during the booking process. At one point, an officer asked him to check and sign a form, prompting Timberlake to question how his race was recorded.
“White?” Timberlake asked, before turning to look at the officer who handed him the paper. “I’m just kidding. I’m just kidding, man,” the star then said while laughing.
The video also captures Timberlake interacting with officers while in a holding cell. According to the footage, he described the officers as “wild” after being informed he would be held overnight.
In the recording, an officer tells Timberlake he would remain in custody until the following morning.
The singer responded with a smile and asked if he had to stay “all night?” After receiving confirmation, he replied, “Yo, you guys are wild, man.”
Later in the footage, the “Mirrors” musician is seen sitting down and sighing after officers informed him he was allowed to make a phone call.
Elsewhere in the video, Timberlake expressed frustration with how he was being treated and declined to undergo a post-arrest chemical test.
“No, I’m not doing the chemical test,” he said after one of the officers asked for his consent. “Guys, I don’t mean no harm, like…,” he then said, trailing off.
“You boys [are] treating me like I’m a criminal,” Timberlake said elsewhere in the bodycam footage.
He also questioned officers about standard procedures for DWI arrests, including whether it was typical for suspects to be handcuffed.
Timberlake was arrested on June 18, 2024, after leaving the American Hotel and a nearby restaurant on Long Island, New York.
He was initially charged with one count of driving while intoxicated, along with two traffic violations — running a stop sign and failing to maintain his lane.
His lawyer, Edward Burke Jr., has maintained that the singer was “not intoxicated” at the time of the arrest. In September 2024, Timberlake reached a plea agreement, pleading guilty to a lesser offense.
During his time in custody, Timberlake told officers he “had one martini” before driving and asked for clarification regarding the alleged violations.
After an officer explained that he failed to stop at a stop sign, failed to keep right and “continuously moved off and veered to the left of the roadway,” Timberlake responded, “Well, I was just following my friends,” according to the footage.
“I appreciate you boys for doing your job, man,” he said in the footage. “Yeah, I appreciate you boys for doing your job. I had one martini and I followed my f—ing friends home and I appreciate you boys for doing your job.”
The footage also includes the moment of his arrest, showing Timberlake speaking with officers while seated in a vehicle. At the time, he was on his “Forget Tomorrow” world tour and attempted to explain his identity to the arresting officer.
After stating that he had been driving a rental car, Timberlake was asked if he was visiting the area. “Yeah, I’m on tour … I’m on a world tour,” he said. When asked to clarify further, he added, “It’s hard to explain … um … I’m Justin Timberlake.”
Prior to the footage’s release, Timberlake sought legal action to prevent it from becoming public. In a petition filed with the Suffolk County Supreme Court, he argued that releasing the video would violate his privacy and damage his reputation.
“Public dissemination of this footage would cause severe and irreparable harm to [Timberlake’s] personal and professional reputation, subject [Timberlake] to public ridicule and harassment, and serve no legitimate public interest,” the petition stated.
