Bruce Springsteen reflects on DWI arrest for first time as he returns to Broadway: ‘I was thrown in jail’

Drunken driving and reckless driving charges against the musician were dropped

Bruce Springsteen commented on his DWI arrest as he returned to Broadway for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

The singer on Saturday revived his residency Springsteen on Broadway, which first became a hit in 2017. The show includes both spoken word passages – personal remembrances by Springsteen – and performances of classics such as “Born in the USA”, “Born to Run”, and “Thunder Road”.

In front of a crowd that included New Jersey Gov Phil Murphy and US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Springsteen delivered a few remarks pertaining to his 2020 arrest.

The arrest, which took place on 14 November 2020, became public in February this year. Springsteen originally received three citations: DWI, reckless driving, and consuming alcohol in a closed area.

At a February hearing, the drunken driving and reckless driving charges were dropped, and the government admitted that Springsteen’s blood-alcohol level was so low it didn’t warrant the charges. Springsteen pleaded guilty to the third charge, consuming alcohol in a closed area, for drinking what he described as “two small shots of tequila”. He was fined $500.

During Saturday’s performance, Springsteen said he and his family were lucky during the pandemic, able to stay healthy and keep busy.

“I had a podcast with the president of the United States [Barack Obama],” he said, then added in reference to the 2020 arrest. “I was handcuffed and thrown in jail.”

“New Jersey,” he added about his home state. “They love me there.”

Springsteen’s show will run through 4 September at the St James Theatre on Broadway. Spectators must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to attend performances. A small group of anti-vaccination demonstrators had gathered to protest the policy outside the venue on Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this story