Justin Timberlake Sues Sag Harbor to Block Release of DWI Arrest Video

Pop star and actor Justin Timberlake is suing the Village of Sag Harbor and its police department to prevent the release of body camera footage from his 2024 drunken driving arrest.

According to a lawsuit filed Monday in state court in Riverhead, Timberlake’s attorneys argue that making the video public would “devastate” his privacy by exposing “intimate, highly personal, and sensitive details” and cause “severe and irreparable harm” to his reputation. The suit says the roughly eight hours of footage captures the singer in an “acutely vulnerable state,” including field sobriety testing, his arrest and several hours of post-arrest confinement.

Timberlake was alleged to have said “this is going to ruin the tour,” as Sag Harbor village police officers – who did not recognize him – arrested him.

The legal action stems from public records requests filed by multiple media outlets seeking the release of the footage under New York’s Freedom of Information Law. Timberlake’s lawyers say they were notified that village officials intended to release portions of the video with redactions.

At a Monday hearing, Judge Joseph Farneti did not immediately rule, instead directing both sides to confer on a possible resolution.

Timberlake, 43, was arrested in June 2024 after police said he ran a stop sign and veered out of his lane after leaving The American Hotel in Sag Harbor. He was initially charged with misdemeanor DWI but later pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired, a noncriminal violation. He was sentenced to 25 hours of community service, fined $500, had his New York license suspended for 90 days and agreed to film a public service announcement warning against impaired driving.

Village officials have said the footage was going to be released on Monday, but will instead wait until Timberlake’s lawsuit is resolved.