Ricky Gervais has trolled Justin Timberlake over his arrest for drink-driving.
The comedian and star of The Office, Extras and After Life, who previously made a habit of lampooning A-list stars while presenting the Golden Globes, set his sights on the singer after he was arrested and allegedly released without bail on Tuesday (18 June).
The “Cry Me a River” musician, who became one one of the biggest solo pop stars of the 2000s after leaving Nineties boyband NSYNC, claimed he had consumed just “one martini” when police pulled him over for swerving on the road in the Hamptons.
According to a complaint obtained by the New York Post, Timberlake, who appeared in 2010 film The Social Network, “performed poorly on all standardised field sobriety tests” and repeatedly refused to take a breathalyser.
Gervais tagged Timberlake’s X/Twitter account handle in a post hours later, writing: “Did you get the bottle of Dutch Barn Vodka I sent you the other day?”
Gervais becomethe co-owner of Ellers Farm Distillery, which makes the drink, in November 2023.
The post divided his followers, with one person calling it “the best post” they had seen that day and others saying it was “too soon” to be making jokes on the subject.
It’s unknown whether Timberlake’s arrest will affect his world tour, which is set to continue in Chicago on 21 June. The “Señorita” singer has been charged with one count of DWI and two traffic violations after failing to stop at a stop sign and failing to keep on the right side of the road.
He is due back in court on 26 July.
Timberlake’s reputation was tainted after the release of Britney Spears’s memoir, The Woman in Me, in 2023. The book divulged a number of details about their relationship and subsequent split, with Spears claiming that Timberlake cheated on her multiple times and broke up with her using a two-word text.
However, in June 2021, Timberlake spoke out in support of Spears during her conservatorship court battle, writing: “No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body. We hope the courts, and her family make this right and let her live however she wants to live.”
In 2019, Timberlake publicly apologised to his wife, Jessica Biel, after he was pictured holding hands with his Palmer co-star Alisha Wainwright in New Orleans.
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“I stay away from gossip as much as I can, but for my family I feel it is important to address recent rumours that are hurting the people I love,” Timberlake wrote on social media. “A few weeks ago I displayed a strong lapse in judgement – but let me be clear – nothing happened between me and my co-star.”
He continued: “I drank way too much that night and I regret my behaviour. I should have known better. This is not the example I want to set for my son.
“I apologise to my amazing wife and family for putting them through such an embarrassing situation, and I am focused on being the best husband and father I can be. This was not that.”
