The mother of a drunk driving accident victim is publicly expressing her disappointment after Justin Timberlake appeared to downplay his June 18 drunk driving accident during a performance in Boston on Saturday.
“So, uh, is anyone driving tonight – no, I’m just kidding,” he said on the show, seemingly joking that his own audience might be driving drunk. He went on to thank fans for their support over the past 30 years.
The former *NSYNC star was charged with one count of DUI and received a citation for failing to keep right and stopping at a stop sign following an alleged DUI incident last month in Hampton, New York.
Sheila Lockwood, whose 23-year-old son Austin was killed by a drunk driver in 2018, told Fox News Digital that Timberlake has seen fewer followers since his comments in Boston.
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Justin Timberlake photographed at the Sag Harbor Police Department. (Sag Harbor Police Department)
The national ambassador for Moms Against Drunk Driving (MADD) said there was “nothing funny” about the allegations against the international pop star.
“It’s very disappointing. He has a huge platform that he can use to raise awareness about this,” Lockwood said. “This is a national crisis. Every 79 seconds, someone is killed or injured by a drunk driver, and he’s on stage making a joke. 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 seen fewer followers since his comments in Boston. (Handout)
Lockwood noted that Timberlake’s legal case is still ongoing, adding that he “shouldn’t have mentioned anything about it at all” or instead “used this as a teaching moment to raise awareness.” Recognize, and admit that his choice that night was not a good one.
“It’s not funny, and as a mom who lost her son, it’s very frustrating. He lost a fan here. I don’t think it’s appropriate and not funny. What message does this send to young fans?” she says.
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Austin Lockwood’s mother says she’s disappointed that Justin Timberlake apparently joked about his DUI charge instead of using his platform to share an important message about the dangers of drunk driving. (Handout)
Lockwood pointed out that 37 people die every day in the United States from drunk driving. Her son Austin became one of those 37 people on June 8, 2018.
Lockwood said he was driving with a friend on Saturday night when the friend “decided to drive over 70 miles per hour on a very dangerous narrow tree-lined road and hit a tree. tree, immediately taking Austin’s life.” The driver was sentenced to three years in prison and four years of long-term supervision.
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The driver who killed Austin Lockwood in a drunken accident has been sentenced to three years in prison, plus four years of extended supervision. (Handout)
MADD CEO Stacey Stewart also told Fox News Digital that the entire organization was “deeply disappointed by Justin Timberlake’s recent comments at a concert, where he The concert trivialized drink driving, a serious crime with devastating consequences.
“Drunk driving fatalities have increased 33% since 2019. In 2022, more than 13,000 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes,” Stewart noted. “Drunk driving is never something to laugh about. It’s shocking and disheartening when a public figure trivializes such a critical issue. Timberlake has a significant platform and the opportunity to impact millions of people. Instead of making jokes, he can use his voice to educate his children.
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Stewart added that MADD is pursuing different solutions to “end this worsening public health crisis,” including adopting “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.
