Singer-actor Justin Timberlake is pursuing legal action to prevent the public release of police body camera footage from his DWI arrest in June 2024. Timberlake, aged 45, faced a DWI charge after leaving a New York hotel and was also cited for running a stop sign and failure to stay in his lane. His lawyer has asserted that Timberlake was not intoxicated during the incident. In September 2024, Timberlake entered a plea deal, admitting guilt to a lesser offense.
Timberlake recently filed a petition in Suffolk County Supreme Court on March 2, arguing that the dissemination of the arrest footage would violate his privacy rights. His legal team emphasized that making the video public could harm Timberlake’s personal and professional reputation, subjecting him to ridicule and harassment without serving any legitimate public interest. The petition highlighted concerns that the footage could reveal private details inside Timberlake’s car and expose personal information unrelated to governmental oversight.
Following a request under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), the Sag Harbor Village Police Department, Department Chief Rober Drake, and the Village of Sag Harbor were approached for the release of the footage. Timberlake’s attorneys contended that disclosing the video would expose sensitive and intimate information about Timberlake and his family, including medical and confidential details not relevant to public oversight. They sought an emergency stay to prevent the footage’s disclosure and requested the court to prohibit its dissemination in response to any FOIL request or by unauthorized third parties without a court order. Timberlake’s legal team also asked for the opportunity to review the footage with proposed redactions to safeguard privacy interests and requested any additional relief deemed necessary by the court.
