Justin Timberlake fans shower him with support at first NYC show after Hamptons DWI bust: ‘We forgive you!’
Can’t Stop the Feeling!
There was no love lost Tuesday as thousands of die-hard and forgiving Justin Timberlake fans packed Madison Square Garden to watch their idol take the stage a week after his high-profile DWI arrest.
“Honestly, my inner teenager cried a little bit. In my eyes, he can never do any wrong so it was a little disappointing,” said Dila, 35, who donned a “Just One Martini” shirt and traveled all the way from Michigan for the chance to see the pop icon.
Though disappointed, Dila was one of the thousands who were willing to excuse the “Cry Me a River” crooner for his alleged lapse in judgment.
As he took the stage, people from the crowd screamed “We forgive you Justin!” and “Everybody makes mistakes!”
But a few others took the chance to chastise the singer, with one yelling “He’s a drunk!”
The two-night New York City leg of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour marks his first show in the metro area since his headline-making arrest in the Hamptons.
The pop star didn’t address his legal troubles Tuesday night — but he did reference his “tough week” while performing in Chicago last week.
Timberlake was pulled over by a rookie cop who had a reputation for being a stickler for the law — and reportedly had no clue who the singer was even as he expressed concern his arrest would “ruin the tour.”
Even before his arrest, Timberlake had been struggling to fill the stadiums during his tour.
Hundreds of tickets were still up for grabs an hour before Timberlake was set to take the stage Tuesday night at MSG. About two dozen empty seats were scattered across the first four rows of the arena, selling for about $1,500 on average.
The more affordable tickets, ranging between $130 and $300, were available throughout the rest of the stadium.
Those who did attend, however, proved their undying love for the singer despite the onslaught of criticism he’s received in the last week.
“To everyone that’s throwing all the hate and all the shade: you’re telling me you’ve never drove drunk ever? You’ve never went to dinner and had a couple cocktails and drove? Come on now. I will defend Justin till the end of time,” said Michelle Altomare, 46, who has followed every Timberlake tour since his NSYNC days.
“When I first heard about the DUI I was a little confused, but let me tell you I was taken aback by all the negative publicity cause everyone makes mistakes, we’re all human. It’s not like this is a continuing pattern for Justin. This was his first DUI arrest.”
Jocelyn N., 38, had no interest in hearing the “What Goes Around … Comes Around” singer address the controversy, saying his dirty laundry has already been aired in the news: “We all know he likes his tequila.”
The fan of more than 15 years donned a shirt of Justin’s mugshot with the words “Loved Stoned,” a reference to a song off his sophomore solo album.
“This is honestly one of the most beautiful mugshots I’ve seen,” Jocelyn said.
When asked if she ever faltered in her love for the singer, Jocelyn emphasized that she would continue to stand by him, pointing out that “we’ve had a lot more artists do worse things.”
“He’s in a little rough patch now but he’ll get through it. I was just hoping he wouldn’t cancel or if it was severe enough he would have to go to rehab. Hopefully, he does what he needs to do to handle this tour and be a dad.”
Like Jocelyn, Kristen Wentzell, 44, did not want Timberlake to waste his time on the MSG stage apologizing for his alleged poor behavior.
She and her three young daughters — all wearing matching Timberlake shirts — did not trek from Los Angeles for the opportunity to see the superstar grovel, she said, emphasizing that the family was there “to have fun.”
“I just hope people can learn from it. And people all make mistakes. And you can’t learn from it unless you make a mistake in the first place. So as like as people can learn from it and he can as well, we’ll leave it at that,” Wentzell said.
