Video From Justin Timberlake’s Arrest Is Reportedly ‘Messy,’ Clashes With ‘Image He’s Been Selling’

Justin Timberlake can’t stop the feeling — of nerves.

Earlier this week, the “SexyBack” singer, 45, filed a petition in Suffolk County Supreme Court to try and block the release of bodycam footage from his June 2024 DWI arrest, claiming that it would invade his privacy.

The reason the pop star is concerned is because the video is “far worse than anyone thinks,” according to a Wednesday, March 4, report in journalist Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice Substack.

“It’s the tone. The entitlement. The attitude. It’s messy,” a source claimed of the unreleased footage. “And it clashes with the image he’s been selling.”

Timberlake has tried to put the headline-making incident behind him. On September 13, 2024, the Grammy Award winner pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated, but he pleaded guilty to driving while impaired.

He was ordered to pay a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge, and carry out 25 hours of community service.

While the singer has been at the center of numerous controversies throughout the years, a music insider told Shuter that “his brand is polished and controlled” these days, adding: “If this footage drops, people will see an unfiltered moment that undercuts all of that.”

“He knows the internet never forgets,” another source said. “One viral clip could follow him forever.”

His lawyer, Michael Del Piano, previously said that the release of the footage could cause “severe and irreparable harm” to Timberlake’s “personal and professional reputation” and lead to “public ridicule and harassment.”

According to NBC News — one of the organizations that has filed public records requests for the bodycam video — Vincent Toomey, a lawyer for the Village of Sag Harbor, said in a statement on Monday, March 2, that the village was planning to release some of the video, but there would be “certain” redactions.

The father of two, who recently celebrated his 45th birthday on January 31, was praised by wife Jessica Biel ​as a “true original.”

Alongside a photo of the couple on Instagram, she wrote, “I love you baby.”