New Jersey music icon Bruce Springsteen is facing drunken driving charges.
Springsteen was arrested Nov. 14 at Gateway National Recreation Area, according to the National Park Service. Springsteen was cited for driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area, according to a NPS statement obtained by Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The park is on a narrow, beach-ringed peninsula, with views across a bay to New York City. It is about 15 miles north of Asbury Park, New Jersey.
The Boss will have a court appearance through Federal Court in Newark as the Gateway National Recreation Area is federal land.
Springsteen, a Freehold native who lives in Colts Neck, was cooperative throughout the arrest, according to the NPS.
"It’s unfortunate, but let’s realize that Bruce is still a human being just like the rest of us and he is not perfect," said Ocean Grove resident Lee Silverstone. "We all make mistakes in life. I still have tremendous respect for him as an artist and a human being."
Springsteen’s blood-alcohol content was 0.02 — just a quarter of New Jersey’s legal limit — when he was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, a source familiar with the case told the Asbury Park Press. The legal threshold indicating intoxication for driving purposes in New Jersey is .08, which calls into question why Springsteen was even charged with driving while intoxicated, the source added.
A person of Springsteen's weight would have had to consume one drink in an hour to score .02, according to blood alcohol content calculators.
"The reaction I’m getting from fellow fans is one of disappointment and caution," said John Kelly of the Brucebook Facebook group, when the news of the arrest first broke. "Lots of people concurring that he is just like us — fallible."
Audrey Hunn of the Calling Bruce Springsteen Fans! Facebook group concurred.
"He is a fine man who has spent his life sharing his ‘magic trick’ with his fans and of late more of his personal self than ever before," she said. "He is a human being with flaws just like the rest of us."
On Sunday, Springsteen appeared in a Super Bowl ad from automaker Jeep. In the two-minute ad, Springsteen advocates for finding the middle and trusting our nation’s guiding principles. Jeep has since removed “The Middle” from its social media.
A big message on a big stage: Bruce Springsteen Super Bowl Jeep ad review
In a statement, Jeep said it “would be inappropriate for us to comment on the details of a matter we have only read about and we cannot substantiate.” But the company added, “it’s also right that we pause our Big Game commercial until the actual facts can be established.”
"Maybe the Jeep people feel the Springsteen constituency is tapped out," said John S. Buzza, a marketing management professor at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. "So maybe now they want to go in another direction."
Lineup: Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven performances included in virtual 2021 Light of Day
Springsteen has used the backdrop of the park on Sandy Hook in several of his projects. He shot the short film “Hunter of Invisible Game” at Fort Hancock there, and in 1987 the “Brilliant Disguise” video from “Tunnel of Love” was filmed in the kitchen of an abandoned officer's house on the grounds. Annie Leibovitz shot the “Tunnel of Love” album cover there, too.
Springsteen has no prior DWIs or arrests in New Jersey, according to public records. Attempts to reach Springsteen’s representative were unsuccessful.
On Jan. 20, Springsteen performed as part of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, singing “Land of Hope and Dreams” in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
The arrest was first reported by TMZ.com.
Reporters Ken Serrano and Kathleen Hopkins contributed to this story, as did the Associated Press. Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected]. Contributing: AP
Source link
