Justin Timberlake arrested for drunk driving

Singer Justin Timberlake has been arrested in New York for drunk driving, local officials told the BBC.

The pop star was arrested and formally charged Tuesday morning, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.

Timberlake was in Sag Harbor, an affluent village in the Hamptons, a popular summer destination for Long Island celebrities.

He was released without bail after being formally charged, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said.

The BBC has contacted Timberlake's lawyer for comment.

Timberlake was arrested after midnight (05:37 BST) after cops stopped him in his gray BMW for running a stop sign and failing to stay on the right side of the road, according to a charging document.

When officers arrested him, Timberlake's eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” and a “strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanated from his breath,” the document states.

His speech was slurred and his scores on police sobriety tests were poor, officials said.

He also refused to submit to a breathalyzer test, records show.

“I drank a martini and followed my friends home,” Timberlake reportedly told the arresting officer, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

He is scheduled to appear virtually in court in Sag Harbor on July 26.

His lawyer, Edward Burke Jr., told the BBC's US news partner CBS on Tuesday evening that he “will vigorously defend his client and is currently engaged in the investigative process with the prosecutor's office “.

Timberlake, 43, was preparing to embark on a world tour with his sixth album, Everything I Thought It Was.

A former member of the popular boy band NSYNC, Timberlake is an actor, songwriter, and one of the world's best-selling musical artists.

The pop star has spoken openly in the past about seeking help for excessive drinking.

In New York state, penalties for drunk driving include up to a year in jail, a fine of $1,000 (£786), and suspension of your driver's license for at least six months.

Timberlake was scheduled to perform two concerts in Chicago this weekend, followed by a show at New York's Madison Square Garden next Tuesday.

The 10-time Grammy Award winner is also known for his roles in the films The Social Network and Friends With Benefits.

Timberlake is married to actress Jessica Biel, with whom he shares two children.