Justin Timberlake has been a public figure for decades now, starting with The Mickey Mouse Club and (of course) the boy band *NSYNC. While he's been memed annually for "It's Gonna Be May", the actor/singer has most recently made headlines for a not-so-positive way. Namely because Timberlake was arrested for DWI earlier this week. Now an insider has gotten candid about Justin's drinking, and what had changed prior to his arrest. They were even quoted saying "it's not a secret."
The internet exploded over the news of Timberlake's arrest, with social media creating memes with his mugshot and arrest photos often related to his relationship with Britney Spears. An anonymous music insider recently spoke to Page Six, alleging that the "Cry Me A River" singer's drinking had been an issue for some time.
It’s not a secret. Everyone knows. He has a real drinking problem, a lot of weed — but a major alcohol problem, and he’s been hiding and masking it for years.
There you have it. Per this insider's reports, Timberlake has allegedly had a drinking problem for years. This stands in stark juxtaposition to his public image, which has by and large been wholesome. Although Justin's been getting some hate online when Britney Spears' book was released and revealed information about their relationship.
Another anonymous insider also spoke to the same publication, and claimed that Justin Timberlake had actually largely cut drinking out of his life prior to his arrest. He was reportedly losing weight and had stopped drinking prior to starting his tour, this eventually changed.
The first source who spoke to Page Six claimed that enablers around him helped Justin Timberlake start drinking again shortly before his arrest. They were quoted saying:
It’s a real thing, and when you have a drinking problem, it’s apparent, yet they’ve pushed this tour on him, and he’s been a very dark place.
It's unclear how his aforementioned tour will be affected by his new legal issues. JT reportedly mentioned the tour as he was being arrested, so the stakes definitely feel high. Timberlake had been posting workout videos prior to his DWI, so he was clearly putting in the work. Only time will tell if things will continue as planned, and if ticket sales are affected one way or the other by this controversy. For his part, the *NSYNC alum hasn't issued any official statement about what went down in The Hamptons.
Aside from his music career and planned tour, Justin Timberlake also keeps busy as an actor. He's currently attached to an untitled TV series where he'll be playing famous television host Chuck Barris. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next movie experience. We'll just have to wait and see if/when he returns to the big screen as well.
