Justin Timberlake Apologizes for 'Distasteful' Wedding Video With Homeless Well-Wishers
Justin Timberlake has spoken out about the video rumored to have played at his wedding, which featured homeless people wishing he and his new wife Jessica Biel well.
The wedding between Timberlake and Biel took place in Italy on Oct. 19 before 100 guests, and several details about the usually shy stars' ceremony have since been made public.
Among some reports about the ceremony, an 8-minute video created by Timberlake's friend and Los Angeles real estate agent Justin Huchel was included. In the video, homeless people such as one toothless man and another shirtless man reportedly congratulated Biel and Timberlake on their nuptials.
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It was originally believed that the video displaying homeless well wishers was played at the wedding, and resulted in outrage.
Subsequently, Timberlake, who calls himself a "pretty private person," has apologized for the video and clarified the story in a public letter posted to his Twitter account on Friday.
"The last time I wrote a letter this like, it was when I had the good fortune of attending a once in a lifetime experience by sharing an evening with some of America's finest at the Marine Corps Ball about a year ago," penned the singer and actor on his website.
"I can't fight the urge to clarify my thoughts and feelings on what has been a very upsetting portrayal of the people closest to me and myself," he continued. "It's not who I am as a professional or as a man."
Timberlake went on to explain the "silly, unsavory" video so that he could "clear the air so no one has to ever wonder how I feel about it."
The former N'Sync band member wrote of the video:
1. I had no knowledge of its existence. I had absolutely ZERO contribution to it.
2. My friends are good people. This was clearly a lapse in judgment, which I'm sure no one who is reading this is exempt from. But, I don't believe it was made to be insensitive. More so, I think it was made as a joke on me not having that many friends attending my own wedding (which IS kind of funny if you think about it).
3. Like many silly rumors that I have been made aware of about the week: It was NOT shown at my wedding.
4. I think we can all agree that it was distasteful, even though that was not its intention.
He then offered an apology, writing: "I want to say that, on behalf of my friends, family, and associative knuckleheads, I am deeply sorry to anyone who was offended by the video."
Lastly, Timberlake jokingly added, "I'm having my friend [Huchel] do at least 100 hours of community service… Boom."
Also defending against the video, attorney Michael J. Saltz wrote that the footage was made and "exhibited privately at Justin Timberlake's wedding as a private joke without Mr. Timberlake's knowledge."
The video was briefly available online on Gawker until legal action was taken, reported People magazine.
"Mr. Huchel especially has not authorized you or Gawker Media to use or exploit any portion of thus copyrighted video," Saltz added.
