A source tells PEOPLE that Justin Timberlake saw the March 20 release of redacted police body cam footage of his DWI arrest as the "best alternative"
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"He hopes this release puts a final nod to all of it," the source said
The musician was arrested in June 2024; reaching a plea deal in September of that year
Justin Timberlakewants to move forward.
After redactedpolice body camera footageof the musician's 2024DWI arrestwasreleased over the weekend, a source tells PEOPLE that he hoped it would mark the end of the news cycle surrounding the incident.
"Hetried to keep it sealed, but when the [option] came up to keep some of it private that seemed to be the best alternative," the source tells PEOPLE. "He is a very private guy when it comes to his personal life."
"This whole thing was a shock to his system and toJessica [Biel]," the source adds of his actress wife. "But theytalked it out and have moved on. He hopes this release puts a final nod to all of it."
A rep for Timberlake did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment.
Timberlake, 45, was arrested by the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) in June 2024 after he left the American Hotel and restaurant on Long Island, N.Y.. He was initially charged withone count of driving while intoxicated and two citations, one for running a stop sign and one for failure to keep in the lane.
Since then, his lawyer, Edward Burke Jr., has maintained that the singer was"not intoxicated"when he was arrested. In September 2024, Timberlakereached a plea deal, where he agreed to plead guilty to a lesser offense, pay a fine, lose his license for 90 days and complete community service.
The "Mirrors" singer previously took legal action toblock the release of the police body cam footagefrom his arrest but it was released on March 20 after he reached a settlement with the Sag Harbor Village Police Department (SHVPD) and local officials.
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According to documents obtained by PEOPLE, the "My Love" singer filed a petition on March 2 in Suffolk County Supreme Court, alleging that releasing the police body camera footage of his arrest would invade his privacy.
"Public dissemination of this footage would cause severe and irreparable harm to [Timberlake's] personal and professional reputation, subject [Timberlake] to public ridicule and harassment, and serve no legitimate public interest," the petition stated.
However, Timberlake agreed to the public release of a version of the footage that "does not constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy," the documents stated.
The arrest footage featured several awkward moments of Timberlake, including himexplaining to police what he did for work. In another instance, police performed a series of field sobriety tests and Timberlakecan be heard saying, "These are, like, hard tests."
Over the weekend, a separate source told PEOPLE that Biel, 44 — who shares sonsSilas, 10, andPhineas, 5½, with Timberlake — was supporting him through the release of the footage but shewas "not happy."
"There have been some challenging moments lately, and she's focused on moving forward," the source said. "She's the happiest when she's able to focus on family life, along with her work when she chooses to take on projects."
The source added, "She's supportive of Justin, but she's also not afraid to express when she's disappointed in certain decisions. This was one of those moments."
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