Gayle King Slammed For Saying Justin Timberlake Was 'Not Reckless' Despite DWI Arrest

Gayle King recently spoke out in defense of singer Justin Timberlake following his shocking arrest for allegedly driving while intoxicated.

The journalist noted that Timberlake is not "reckless" or "careless," and he simply made a "mistake." However, some people were upset at her for not acknowledging the potential damage that could have come from Timberlake driving while drunk.

After Justin Timberlake was arrested and charged with a DWI, his lawyer revealed in a statement that he intends to "vigorously" fight the allegations.

Since reports of Timberlake's shocking DWI arrest, the singer has been ridiculed online, with several branding his behavior "reckless" and "irresponsible."

Fortunately for Timberlake, the prominent journalist Gayle King spoke out in his defense, noting that he only made a "mistake" and is a "really great guy."

"Justin Timberlake is a really, really great guy," King began on Wednesday's episode of CBS Morning. "Listen, this is clearly a mistake — I bet nobody knows it more than he."

When co-host Nate Burleson noted that it was a "stupid mistake," King agreed, asserting that Timberlake "knows that."

She said, "He's not an irresponsible person, he's not reckless, he's not careless. Clearly, this is not a good thing, but he knows that."

King also highlighted singer Billy Joel's reaction to the incident when he said, "Judge not lest ye be judged," after being asked to comment.

"I loved when they stopped Billy Joel, and he said, 'Wait, not everybody judge at this particular time.'" King said, per People magazine.

She added, "Driving drunk, there is never any excuse for that ever."

King's remarks on the incident were met with negative reactions, as many online claimed that she glossed over the serious consequences of driving while drunk.

One comment on X read, "It's clearly a mistake until he kills someone drunk driving…"

Another person asked, "Why is Gayle King being allowed to rubber stamp this nonsense? LOL"

"No, screw that. There's no excuse for driving under the influence. Take an Uber back home and pick up your car at a later date," wrote a third X user.

A fourth person noted, "Maybe. He drank and made a decision to drive while impaired that could have killed innocent people. Why are you trying to give him a pass? Because he's white? I'd understand it a little more if he was younger, but not at his age 43 is supposed to know better."

One more person wrote, "What is going on with Gayle? This is odd. You don't defend driving under the influence. Get an Uber or have a driver. He can afford a driver."

On Tuesday, law enforcement sources told TMZ that Timberlake was stopped by police shortly after midnight after blowing past a stop sign. Officers then followed him as he swerved on the road, prompting them to pull him over.

The "Mirrors" singer then performed a field sobriety test, which he failed, and afterward refused to undergo a breathalyzer test.

According to reports, Timberlake's friends where at the scene and they tried to persuade the officers to let him go, however, their pleas didn't work and he was handcuffed and arrested. The "SexyBack" singer looked worn out after his arraignment on Tuesday morning,

A source told Daily Mail, "Justin was out to dinner with friends, and there were cop cars stationed outside the restaurant like there are most nights. They look for people leaving after midnight who might have been drinking."

The source added, "Justin left at 12:30 AM and was pulled over immediately. Nobody was hurt, and there was no drama at the scene."

The actor's mugshot seemed to confirm the police reports that he had bloodshot and glassy eyes. He also allegedly reeked of alcohol.

According to an official complaint, "it was ascertained that [Timberlake] was operating said vehicle in an intoxicated condition, in that: his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath."

The complaint further notes that Timberlake "was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests."

According to reports, Timberlake and his wife, Jessica Biel, have not seen each other since his arrest; however, the actress intends to stand by her husband even though she feels unhappy about the DWI incident.

Biel was also in New York City, where she's filming her new Prime Video series, "The Better Sister," miles away from Sag Harbor, Long Island, where Timberlake was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.

An insider told the Daily Mail that Biel is "embarrassed" but hopes that the incident makes him reduce his alcohol intake.

"Jessica is disappointed but he is her husband so she is by his side and will have his back through all of it," the source noted. "She would like Justin to curb his drinking, so he never gets into a situation like this ever again. She is treating it like a slap on the wrist and is hoping that it doesn't lead to anything more severe in the future."