It's like a mirror staring back at him.
A 2001 Budweiser commercial starring boy band NSYNC talking about drinking responsibly has resurfaced after Justin Timberlake accepted a plea deal on Friday stemming from his June drunk driving arrest.
The 43-year-old Cry Me A River singer's initial driving while intoxicated misdemeanor charge was dropped Friday. Instead, he pleaded guilty to a noncriminal traffic violation of driving while impaired.
Timberlake was punished by 25 hours of community service with the nonprofit of his choice in the Sag Harbor area and a 90-day suspension on his license.
He will also have to pay a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge.
As part of his plea deal, Timberlake was required to make a public safety statement on the dangers of drunk driving. This brought boyband fans back to the 30-second Super Bowl XXXV spot where the Tearin' Up My Heart singers go door-to-door to speak with parents about alcohol.
"Hey, how's it going, we're *NSYNC," Lance Bass says in the commercial when the father of a teenager opens the front door to find the pop sensations.
"You know, the group *NSYNC?" Chris Kirkpatrick adds.
The commercial aired the same year NSYNC performed the Super Bowl halftime show alongside Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly.
"We're just going door-to-door to say thanks," Timberlake says in the clip as Joey Fatone adds, "Yeah, for talking to your kids about drinking."
JC Chasez tells the confused, then smiling dad, "With all our success, you are still a bigger influence on your kids than we are."
The ad ends with the dad telling his starry-eyed daughter a group of men who said "something about a sink" were at the front door. The heartbroken teen runs outside to try and catch a glimpse of stars, but they're already gone.
"Parents. The #1 group kids listen to about drinking," a message across the screen reads.
Newsweek has contacted reps for Timberlake for comment.
Timberlake's Statement After DWI Plea Deal
Timberlake was arrested in the Hamptons on June 18 after police said he ran a stop sign and swerved out of his lane following a night out at a hotel. He pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge.
As part of his plea deal, Timberlake was required to make a public safety statement Friday on the dangers of drunk driving.
"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. This is not that," Timberlake told reporters outside of the courthouse after the hearing on Friday. "I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision."
"Even if you got one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car. There's so many alternatives: Call a friend, take an Uber. There's many travel apps. Take a taxi," Timberlake continued.
He also delivered a message to the people of Sag Harbor.
"I grew up in a small town, so I can appreciate and understand the strain or unique nature that this must have been on the people of Sag Harbor, but I just want to say to everyone who's been involved, from everyone in the courtroom to everyone outside, including the police department, that I'm very grateful, and I thank them," Timberlake continued.
He concluded, "This is a mistake that I made, but I'm hoping that whoever's watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have. I guess in closing, I like to say, we can all be more safe out there. And I'm going to do my part. I hope that everyone else does their part. Thank you very much."
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