One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Video Shown at Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel's Wedding Featured Joke Interviews With L.A. Homeless People
You may have heard some of the details of the pricey Italian wedding last weekend of stars Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, but one tidbit that's surfaced isn't so pretty.
A Los Angeles real estate agent and longtime Timberlake friend, Justin Huchel, put together a little video tribute to the happy couple, and it included "gag' segments of interviews with homeless people and other locals sending their best regards. You know, since they couldn't make it on the private jet to the reported $6.5 million gathering.
Gawker managed to get a hold of the video--something Huchel, or, more specifically, Huchel's legal team, isn't too pleased about--and describe the 8:30 minute clip as featuring
"street interviews with ten people, many of them obviously homeless, premised on the idea that they were friends of Timberlake and Biel's who, for whatever reason, couldn't quite swing the trip to the Borgo Egnazia resort in Puglia for the nuptials."
Gawker adds: "Some of [the people interviewed] are obviously intoxicated, mentally ill, or both, and at least one of them is entirely incapable of speaking."A short 20 second clip posted on Gawker shows a couple such moments, including a shirtless man in Pershing Square greeting Justin and Jessica, and some advice from a transsexual out for the evening on the city streets.
Huchel's lawyers told Gawker: "Mr. Huchel made [the] video to be used and exhibited privately at Justin Timberlake's wedding as a private joke without Mr. Timberlake's knowledge."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
