Justin Timberlake has filed a lawsuit to stop the release of police body camera video of his 2024 DWI arrest in the Hamptons.
According to NBC News, Timberlake’s legal team has requested a judge to halt the release of the footage “to conduct a private review of it to stop the disclosure of material not subject to disclosure under New York’s Freedom of Information Law.”
Several organizations have already filed public records requests for Timberlake’s arrest video.
In court documents, Timberlake’s lawyers argued “that the video shows personally identifiable information and private details” that are not relevant to “any law enforcement action of public concern.”
“The harm from public exposure—stigma, harassment, reputational injury, and the permanent loss of privacy—is immediate and irreparable,” the documents read.
Justice Joseph Farneti, acting Suffolk County Supreme Court judge, has not yet ruled on the case, allowing negotiations for both sides to occur.
Vincent Toomey, a lawyer for the Village of Sag Harbor, said the police department is planning to release some of the footage with “certain” privacy and investigatory redactions.
“Mr. Timberlake sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to prevent the Village from doing so,” Toomey said in a statement.
Edward D. Burke Jr., one of Timberlake’s lawyers, said he’s reviewed the video footage.
“The bodycam footage captures approximately eight (8) hours of continuous recording. And encroaches upon areas of Petitioner’s life and emotional state that have no relevance at all to Petitioner’s arrest,” Burke wrote.
Burke also noted that the video shows bystanders near Timberlake who “retain legitimate privacy interests.”
TIMBERLAKE ACCEPTED A PLEA DEAL
After pleading guilty in September 2024 to driving while impaired and taking a plea deal, Timberlake agreed to 25 to 40 hours of community service and a fine.
“This was a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever’s watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake,” Timberlake said.