Ricky Gervais was accused of creating a “shameless” plug for his co-owned vodka brand after he jokingly implied Justin Timberlake could have been enjoying it, just hours after news of his drink driving arrest broke. Tagging the 43-year-old singer, he publicly quizzed: “Did you get the bottle of Dutch Barn Vodka I sent you the other day?”
The drink, which carries a carbon-neutral status due to the recycled bottles used and the company’s deforestation efforts, got a huge publicity boost when Ricky got on board a few months ago. However, not all readers took kindly to the comedian’s gag, with some taking to Twitter to rally against it.
Ricky was branded “ruthless”, “savage”, “cold-blooded” and “brutal”, while he was accused of a “shameless plug” and told his timing was wrong, as viewers warned: “Too soon!” That said, the comic, who highlights himself in his Twitter bio as “problematic”, is unlikely to be swayed by the latest bout of backlash.
He’s also received plenty of support from a loyal army of fans, with one inserting a series of laughter emojis and insisting: “Things like Gervais trolling Timberlake is what makes Twitter so great!” Another vowed: “This is the best post on x today – hands down!”
“You win the internet today Ricky!” a third chimed in. Another quoted a lyric from his famous hit Cry Me A River: “The damage is done so I guess I’ll be leaving.”
Justin was pulled over for alleged drink driving in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with his police mugshot now widely circulated on the internet.
He is said to have murmured under his breath at the moment of his arrest: “This is going to ruin the tour.”
The child TV star turned adult chart-topper, who once famously dated Britney Spears, is currently in the midst of his Forget Tomorrow tour.
However, he is more likely to be wishing he could erase his memories of yesterday, after the embarrassing arrest.
Justin, who allegedly opted not to take a breathalyser test, presented with “bloodshot” and “glassy” eyes, according to court documents,
He has now thought to have been released from police custody and is scheduled to play a show in Chicago this Friday.
He’s also expected to be in Britain this summer, with four August tour dates planned for Birmingham, Manchester and London.
However, reports suggest that if he is required to attend court in the relation to the incident in July, it could sabotage at least one of his European dates.