Pop superstar Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to driving while impaired in a Hamptons in New York, United States of America.  

The Grammy-winning artist, who was arrested in June on charges of drunk driving, appeared in a small Sag Harbor courthouse on Friday, where he accepted responsibility for his actions.

According to the New York Times, in his plea deal, he agreed to pay a $500 fine, complete 25 hours of community service for a charity of his choice, and have his New York driver’s licence suspended for 90 days. 

Initially facing the more serious charge of driving while intoxicated, Timberlake avoided harsher penalties by cooperating fully with authorities.

As part of the deal, Timberlake will not be required to make a public safety announcement discouraging drunk driving, as was initially suggested. Instead, Sag Harbor Village Justice Carl Irace encouraged the singer to devote time to self-reflection and community service, which Timberlake accepted.

“It was a clear misjudgement,” Timberlake admitted during the hearing. “I should’ve called a taxi or gotten a ride from a friend. I know better.”

With reporters crowding outside the courthouse and Sag Harbor Police Headquarters, Timberlake took the opportunity to publicly address the incident, expressing regret and urging fans to learn from his mistake.

“Many of you have probably been covering me for a lot of my life, and as you may know, I try to hold myself to a very high standard, for myself, and this was not that,” he said.