What Does 'This Is Going To Ruin The Tour' Mean? Justin Timberlake's Viral Arrest Meme Explained

Justin Timberlake has become one of the biggest memes of the moment following his viral intoxicated driving arrest, with his mugshot recently inspiring a wave of memes across social media. Now, something that he reportedly said to his arresting officer has also become a meme, after the artist reportedly whispered under his breath, "This is going to ruin the tour." But what is the full story behind the quote and why has it become a meme? Here's what you need to know.

What Does 'This Is Going To Ruin The Tour' Mean?

On June 18th, 2024, Page Six published an article about the recent arrest of Justin Timberlake on a charge of intoxicated driving in Sag Harbor, New York. Their article, which focuses on the claim that Timberlake refused to take a breathalyzer test on the scene, includes some reports from anonymous sources about the arrest. One source claims that the arresting officer was too young to know who Timberlake was and did not recognize his name or appearance.

The second source claims that Timberlake said to the arresting officer, under his breath, "This is going to ruin the tour." The cop reportedly asked, "What tour?" and Timberlake responded, "The world tour." The report began to spread online that day, with many finding the claim that Timberlake said this too funny to ignore, sparking a viral meme.

How Is 'This Is Going To Ruin The Tour' Used In Memes?

"This is going to ruin the tour" has become a powerful catchphrase meme since the story was reported on June 18th. That same day, one X user posted, "Gonna start saying 'this is going to ruin the tour' as a response to every slight inconvenience in my life," which pretty much sums up how the phrase is being used online, essentially turning it into a slang term.

In memes, the phrase is comedically attached to various people or characters as a response to an inconvenience they're experiencing. One viral example attaches the phrase to Travis Scott's mugshot, which comes from his also-recent arrest for disorderly intoxication. It's worth mentioning that it's not officially confirmed that Timberlake said this. That, however, hasn't stopped the phrase from becoming a huge meme in a few short days.

For the full history of "This is going to ruin the tour," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.