Gayle King defends Justin Timberlake after DWI arrest: ‘He’s not reckless’

‘This is clearly a mistake, I bet nobody knows it more than he,’ King says

Gayle King has defended Justin Timberlake after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated in the Hamptons.

The 69-year-old talk show host addressed the singer’s DWI charge during Wednesday’s episode of CBS Mornings. During the conversation with her colleagues, King went on to praise Timberlake as a person, while expressing that he was still at fault for driving while intoxicated.

“Justin Timberlake is a really, really great guy. This is clearly a mistake, I bet nobody knows it more than he,” she explained.

She then reiterated that she wouldn’t criticize Timberlake’s character. “He’s not an irresponsible person,” King added. “He’s not reckless. He’s not careless. Clearly, this is not a good thing. He knows that.”

King then recalled how Billy Joel spoke to PIX 11 News about the situation, with the singer saying: “Judge not lest ye be judged.” Joel also noted that he didn’t “really know that much” about Timberlake’s DWI arrest, so he had “no comment.”

“I love when they stopped Billy Joel and Billy Joel said: ‘You know wait, not everyone judges this particular time,’” King said on CBS Mornings.

However, she noted that she wasn’t excusing Timberlake for his behavior. “Listen, driving drunk, there’s never any excuse for that,” she concluded. “Ever.”

Timberlake was arrested for driving while intoxicated at 12.17am on June 18 in Sag Harbor, New York. Police told TMZ that the star was at the American Hotel partying and blew through a stop sign when he left. Police started to follow him, and pulled him over after he started swerving.

However, the pop star claimed that when he was pulled over, he had consumed just “one martini.” The New Yor Post also reported that the unnamed arresting officer “was so young that he didn’t even know” who Timberlake was.

The lead vocalist of NSYNC failed a field sobriety test and reportedly refused a breathalyzer. Officers said they observed Timberlake with glassy eyes and smelled alcohol on his breath. He appeared in a Long Island court on June 18 and was released without bail. He is due back in court on July 26.

On June 19, the singer’s attorney, Edward Burke Jr, released a statement, noting that he will soon speak out about Timberlake’s DWI charge.

“Mr Burke looks forward to vigorously defending Mr Timberlake against these allegations,” the statement, obtained by People, reads. “He will have a lot to say at the appropriate time. He is currently awaiting full discovery from the DA’s office.”

The DWI charge came as Timberlake’s on his “The Forget Tomorrow World Tour.” He’s still scheduled to perform in Chicago on June 21 and 22, before doing two shows in New York City on June 25 and 26.