Justin Timberlake breaks his silence following Hamptons DWI arrest

Justin Timberlake broke his silence following his arrest for driving while intoxicated in the Hamptons on June 18.

The pop star took the stage at his concert in Chicago on June 21 for the first time since his arrest. He thanked his fans for "growing up" with him over the years.

"We've been through ups and downs and lefts and rights," he said to the cheering crowd. "It's been a tough week."

"I know sometimes I’m hard to love but you keep on loving me and I’m going to love you right back," he continued.

Timberlake didn't specifically mention the DWI.

Timberlake, 43, was driving a gray 2025 BMW when an officer observed him run a stop sign and then fail to stay in his lane on two occasions, the Sag Harbor Police Department said in a complaint released on June 18.

Surveillance video posted on Hamptons.com appears to show a vehicle that matches the description of the one Timberlake was driving when he was pulled over and arrested by police in New York early Tuesday.

The officer initiated a traffic stop and determined Timberlake was driving in an "intoxicated condition," police said.

In the complaint, an officer said Timberlake's "eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests."

The "SexyBack" singer told officers, “I had one martini and followed my friends home," Sag Harbor police said.

He refused to take a breathalyzer test three times, police said. He was placed under arrest and held overnight.

Timberlake was arraigned on at least one DWI charge on Tuesday morning, a Sag Harbor court spokesperson and a Suffolk County District Attorney's office spokesperson confirmed to NBC News.

Timberlake pleaded not guilty and was ordered to appear in court on July 26, officials said.

After the arraignment, Timberlake was released "on his own recognizance, according to police.

Edward Burke Jr., an attorney for Timberlake, issued a statement to NBC News on Wednesday: "I look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake on these allegations. I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time but am currently awaiting full discovery from the District Attorney’s office."

Timberlake ate at the American Hotel in the upscale Long Island beach town on Monday evening and then was headed to a friend's home when he was pulled over, a source close to the star told NBC News.

Timberlake released his latest album, "Everything I Thought It Was," in March, and began his "Forget Tomorrow World Tour" in April in Vancouver, Canada.

The pop star and father of two's last show was in Miami on June 15, and his next performance was set for June 21 in Chicago.

Timberlake's tour dates were scheduled through December and featured appearances in North America and Europe.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com