Maybe this won't ruin the tour after all? The world tour, that is — Justin Timberlake's sprawling stint on the road behind Everything I Thought It Was, if you even care. It got underway back in April, but faced a bit of a hiccup in June when Timberlake was arrested for driving while impaired in the Hamptons.
In our last update on the case, the former boy band member had his licence suspended because he had refused to take a breathalyzer test when he was pulled over. Lawyer Edmund Burke Jr. and the star maintained that he hadn't been intoxicated ("I had one martini," he was quoted telling police), pleading not guilty.
Now, according to TMZ, Timberlake and his legal team have been able to convince the judge to sign a plea deal. The DWI charge will reportedly be dropped, and Timberlake will plead guilty to Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI) — a less serious charge resulting in a fine between $300 and $500 USD, the exact amount to be determined during a hearing on Friday (September 13).
UPDATE (9/13, 1:06 p.m. ET): Timberlake pleaded guilty today to Driving While Ability Impaired, a violation under New York law but a much lesser charge than the original misdemeanour DWI count. He was ordered to pay a $500 fine and perform 25 to 40 hours of community service.
"I did not live up to the standards I try to hold for myself," Timberlake told the judge [via the Associated Press]. "I should've had better judgment… I understand the seriousness of this."