(NewsNation) — Celebrity gossip columnist Perez Hilton says Justin Timberlake’s recent drunk driving arrest in New York represents an “ego check” for the pop star, whose career has stalled in recent years.
“It would not shock me if Justin Timberlake has driven drunk before,” Hilton told NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live” on Tuesday. “He’s been able to for decades skate through life and difficult situations, because he is Justin Timberlake, because he is rich and good-looking, and white and a man.”
Timberlake, 43, was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated after being pulled over by police in Sag Harbor, New York. According to court documents, the officer reported Timberlake had bloodshot eyes, smelled of alcohol and failed sobriety tests.
The incident 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.
Hilton speculated that Timberlake may seek to revive his career by reuniting with his former boy band NSYNC in 2025 to mark the group’s 30th anniversary.
“Justin Timberlake knows that his career needs that uplifting and the positive press and goodwill that reuniting with his former boy band members would bring him,” Hilton said.
After being held overnight, Timberlake was arraigned and released without bail Tuesday, with another court date set for July 26.
