Justin Timberlake arrest: False reports spread online alleging drug use

CHICAGO (NewsNation) — As news of Justin Timberlake’s arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated quickly spread, so did a false report of the singer’s alleged drug use.

“Justin Timberlake allegedly had traces of molly, poppers, Truvada, and coke in his bloodstream following his DWI arrest in New York,” a parody X account called “PooCrave” posted.

The drug allegations against Timberlake are false and were quickly spread across social media without proper vetting.

X users were able to add a community note to the post — which remains online — informing other users that PooCrave is a satire account and that Timberlake’s lawyer confirmed the singer faces just one DWI charge.

“The charge was a single count because he refused the breath test. Mr. Timberlake was also charged with two other court citations, running a stop sign and not traveling in the correct traffic lane,” lawyer Ed Burke told Us Weekly.

However, before the post was countered, it was quickly shared with users taking the claim at face value.

Justin Timberlake arrested on DWI charge

Timberlake, 43, was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated Monday night in Sag Harbor, New York. After being held overnight, Timberlake was arraigned and released without bail Tuesday, with another court date set for July 26.

Timberlake came to Sag Harbor, which is part of the Hamptons on Long Island, following a stop on his “Forget Tomorrow” tour in Miami last week.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ that Timberlake had been partying with friends at the American Hotel, a well-known celebrity hangout, before his arrest.

Police said in a news release an officer pulled Timberlake over after he failed to stop at a stop sign and failed to maintain his lane of travel.

“Upon investigation, it was determined that Mr. Timberlake was operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition,” police said. Court documents state he had “bloodshot and glassy eyes,” and that officers smelled alcohol on his breath. When offered a breathalyzer test, he refused, the document said.

Timberlake, according to the court documents, told officers he had one martini and was following his friends home.

According to court documents, the arresting officer reported Timberlake had bloodshot eyes, smelled of alcohol and failed sobriety tests.

Justin Timberlake’s career woes

The singer hasn’t been charged with driving while intoxicated before, although he did cause controversy in 2016 when he took a selfie in front of a voting booth in Tennessee — a violation of state law.

Timberlake later addressed the controversy during an appearance on “The Tonight Show,” saying he didn’t know it was illegal and was merely trying to inspire people. According to Reuters, authorities in Tennessee did not investigate the incident.

As part of his tour, Timberlake has concert dates scheduled in Chicago this weekend, with ones in New York and Madison Square Garden to follow.

NewsNation previously reported that Timberlake has been struggling to sell tickets for “Forget Tomorrow.”

The DWI arrest compounds Timberlake’s career woes after his latest album flopped and concert tour sales struggled. It also follows controversy last year when Britney Spears alleged in her memoir that Timberlake had cheated on her and pressured her to have an abortion during their relationship in the early 2000s.

NewsNation’s Paula Froelich, Kelley Connors and Ava Pittman contributed to this report.