Justin Timberlake breaks silence on DWI arrest with message to supporters

Justin Timberlake addressed his fans for the first time since he was arrested for drunk driving earlier this week.

The 10-time Grammy winner took the stage in Chicago for a concert Friday night in the middle of his Forget Tomorrow tour, telling the crowd at the United Center that he’d had a “tough week.”

“We have been through ups and downs, left and right,” he said to applause from spectators, according to video clips posted on social media. “It’s been a difficult week. But you’re here, and I’m here, and nothing can change this moment right now.

He continued: “I know sometimes I’m hard to love. But you continue to love me, and I love you back. Thank you so much.”

Timberlake was taken into custody shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday in Sag Harbor, a village on Long Island, New York, after his BMW ran a stop sign and failed to stay in its lane , according to Sag Harbor police.

An officer described the singer as having “bloodshot and glassy” eyes, “slowed speech” and “a strong odor of alcoholic beverage” on his breath at the time of his arrest, according to court documents.

Timberlake refused to submit to a breathalyzer test and “performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests,” police said.

Edward Burke Jr., the singer’s attorney, said in a statement to HuffPost that he “looks forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake on these allegations.”

“He will have a lot to say when the time comes,” Burke said.

Timberlake is expected to return to Chicago’s United Center for another performance on his world tour on Saturday.

His next stops are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

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