Justin Timberlake heartbroken as he cancels gig 10 minutes before show is due to start
Singer Justin Timberlake shared his heartache as he announced he had to cancel a major concert moments before he was due on stage.
The star was due to finish up the US leg of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour on February 27, with the gig scheduled at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The stage for Justin, 44, was already set, with the doors having opened at 7.30pm, according to local news outlet The Columbus Dispatch.
About 10 minutes before his opening act was due to perform, however, Justin took to Instagram to announce that the show wasn’t going ahead due to illness. In his social media post, he wrote: “You guys, I’m heartbroken. I have to cancel the show tonight. I went into soundcheck battling the flu and now it’s gotten the best of me. It kills me to disappoint you and my team who worked so hard to make this show happen. I want to reassure you, you’ll be getting refunds for your tickets. I love you all.”
The Columbus gig was already rescheduled from months prior, after Justin cancelled multiple shows in October last year. That month, he announced that he was taking a break from the tour and would pick it back up in November.
Alongside the Columbus performance, shows in the cities Chicago, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Milwaukee, and St. Paul were all rescheduled to this February, with the Columbus show now not happening at all. At the time, he revealed that illness was again to blame, writing on Instagram: “Hey guys – I haven’t been feeling great the last few shows and turns out I have bronchitis and laryngitis. I’m so sorry to say I do need to reschedule the next few shows from 10/23 through 11/2. New dates listed above.” Justin concluded: “Thank you for understanding – I’ll make it up to you.”
In the comment section of his new post, many fans joked “this is going to ruin the tour,” harking back to a comment Justin made back in June when he was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Sag Harbor, New York. He was also slapped with citations for jumping a red light and failing to stay in one lane while driving.
Justin agreed a plea bargain to have his charges changed to Driving While Ability Impaired – a lesser charge which can lead to a fine of up to $500 (£380) but automatically results in a 90-day driving license suspension. After his court date, Justin was also ordered to perform community service and agreed to be part of a public service announcement to warn people of the dangers of drunk driving.
Following his arrest, Justin became a living meme when he mumbled to the arresting officer that his arrest was going to “ruin the tour.” The young cop didn’t recognise Justin at all, however, and – baffled – asked: “What tour?” Justin then hilariously specified: “The world tour.”
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