Bruce Springsteen loses Jeep advert after drunk driving cost – Nationwide

Jeep is pulling a U-turn on its Tremendous Bowl advert marketing campaign with Bruce Springsteen after police revealed that the singer was charged with drunk driving late final yr in his dwelling state of New Jersey.

Springsteen was arrested on Nov. 14 within the Gateway Nationwide Recreation Space for allegedly drunk driving on his bike, the Nationwide Park Service confirmed on Wednesday. He was cited for driving whereas underneath the affect, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed space.

Springsteen was “visibly swaying forwards and backwards” throughout a sobriety check, “took 45 steps throughout the walk-and-turn as a substitute of the instructed 18” and refused to take a breathalyzer, the arresting park officer mentioned in paperwork filed in federal courtroom on Thursday.

The officer wrote that Springsteen “smelt strongly of alcohol,” “had glassy eyes” and that there was a bottle of Patron tequila that was “utterly empty.”

Springsteen, 71, allegedly advised the officer that he’d taken two pictures of tequila within the final 20 minutes earlier than getting on his bike.

The information emerged shortly after two high-profile gigs for “the Boss,” who carried out at U.S. President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20 and starred in a Jeep advert throughout the Tremendous Bowl.

Within the two-minute Jeep advert, Springsteen visits a chapel in Kansas — the so-called “center” level of America — and talks at size about therapeutic political divisions by assembly within the center.

Jeep launched an announcement saying it “can be inappropriate for us to touch upon the small print of a matter now we have solely examine and we can’t substantiate.” However the firm mentioned, “it’s additionally proper that we pause our Huge Sport business till the precise info may be established.”

The corporate additionally pulled the Springsteen advert from its social media channels.

“Its message of neighborhood and unity is as related as ever,” a Jeep spokesperson mentioned. “As is the message that consuming and driving can by no means be condoned.”

Moms Towards Drunk Driving (MADD) mentioned it was “outraged” to study that Springsteen’s arrest was stored quiet for 3 months.

“The truth that this arrest was not revealed by authorities in New Jersey till after Springsteen’s look driving a Jeep in a high-priced Tremendous Bowl business is infuriating,” it mentioned in an announcement.

Springsteen has not commented publicly on the fees. His lawyer and publicist haven’t responded to requests for remark from the AP and the New York Instances.

—With recordsdata from The Related Press