The arrest that launched a thousand “ruin the tour” memes
Justin Timberlake is heading back to court, this time to stop the public from seeing body-cam footage of his 2024 drunk-driving arrest.
The singer is attempting to block the release of police footage taken during the incident, which reportedly shows him performing roadside sobriety tests and the hours following his arrest.
According to Timberlake’s legal team, releasing the video would violate his privacy and cause lasting damage to his reputation
In the filing, Timberlake’s lawyers argue the footage captures the star in an “acutely vulnerable state,” documenting his physical appearance, speech and behaviour during field sobriety testing, as well as the period after he was taken into custody.
The lawsuit was filed against the village of Sag Harbor and its police department, which have been reviewing whether the video should be released under New York’s public records laws.
“We’re trying to be as transparent as can be with this footage,” said Sag Harbor Mayor Thomas Gardella, noting that the state generally requires police body-camera footage to be released to the public
Timberlake was arrested in June 2024 after police said he ran a stop sign and briefly veered out of his lane while driving his BMW through Sag Harbor’s village centre.
The incident quickly became internet lore after reports emerged that body-cam audio captured the singer telling officers: “This is going to ruin the tour.”
When a police officer reportedly asked, “What tour?”
Timberlake’s answer only made the moment more meme-worthy: “The world tour.”
The former NSYNC member later pleaded guilty to impaired driving in September 2024. His original misdemeanor charge was reduced to a non-criminal traffic violation as part of a plea deal.
For now, it remains unclear whether the footage will ever become public, or if it will remain sealed away from the internet’s endless appetite for celebrity mishaps.
Especially the kind that, apparently, might ruin the world tour. Twice.
