The mother of a victim of a drink-driving crash has expressed her frustration. Justin Timberlake He appeared to joke about his DWI, which occurred on June 18, during Saturday’s show in Boston.
“So, uh, is there anybody here tonight who’s driving — no, I’m just kidding,” he said during the show, seemingly joking that it could be someone from his own audience driving under the influence. He thanked his fans for their 30 years of support.
The former *NSYNC star was charged with one count of driving under the influence, as well as failing to move to the right and failing to stop at a stop sign. The incident happened just after midnight in the Hamptons, New York, last month.
Sheila Lockwood, whose 23-year-old son Austin was killed by a drunk driver in 2018, told Fox News Digital that Timberlake has lost more than a handful of fans in Boston following his comments.
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Justin Timberlake’s photo was taken at the Sag Harbor Police Department. (Sag Harbor Police Department)
The national ambassador for Moms Against Drunk Driving (MADD) said there is “nothing funny” about the allegations against the international pop star.
“It’s very disappointing. He has a huge platform that he could use to bring awareness to this,” Lockwood said. “This is a national crisis. Every 79 seconds, someone is killed or injured by drunk driving, and he’s standing on stage making fun of it. It’s not funny.”
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Sheila Lockwood, whose 23-year-old son Austin was killed by a drunk driver in 2018, told Fox News Digital that Timberlake has lost more than a handful of fans in Boston following his comments. (Handout)
Lockwood said Timberlake’s legal case is still ongoing and added that he “shouldn’t have said anything about it” or instead “should have taken this as a teaching moment and an opportunity to raise awareness and acknowledge that his decisions that night weren’t good.”
She said, “It’s not funny, and as a mother who has lost her son, it’s very disappointing. She lost a fan here. I don’t think it was fair, and there’s nothing funny about it. What message does that send to young fans?”
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Austin Lockwood’s mother said she was disappointed that Justin Timberlake joked about his DWI charge instead of sending an important message about the dangers of drunk driving. (Handout)
Lockwood said that 37 people die every day in the US due to drunk driving. On June 8, 2018, his son Austin became one of those 37 people. left Illinois That day, she had gone to clean the cabin of an acquaintance in Wisconsin, because he was “willing to do anything for anybody”, she said.
Lockwood said he was driving with a friend Saturday evening when his friend “decided to drive over 70 mph on a very dangerous narrow road surrounded by trees and crashed into a tree, killing Austin instantly.” The driver was sentenced to three years in prison and four years of extended supervision.
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The driver who killed Austin Lockwood in a DWI incident was sentenced to three years in prison and four years of extended supervision. (Handout)
Similarly, MADD CEO Stacey Stewart told Fox News Digital that the entire organization is “deeply disappointed by Justin Timberlake’s recent comments in which he made light of driving under the influence at a music festival, which is a serious offense that can have devastating consequences.”
“Drunk driving deaths have increased by 33% since 2019. More than 13,000 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2022,” Stewart said. “Drunk driving is never a laughing matter. It’s concerning and disappointing when a public figure trivializes such an important issue. Timberlake has a significant platform and an opportunity to influence millions of people. Instead of cracking jokes, he can use his voice to educate his audience about the dangers of drunk driving and encourage everyone to prioritize safe riding.”
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Stewart said MADD is considering a variety of solutions to “end this worsening public health crisis,” including requiring “impaired driving prevention technology” in all new vehicles through the federal HALT Act.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Timberlake’s attorney and his media representatives.
