Timberlake, Biel Slammed for Homeless Video

Justin, Jessica got a controversial wedding surprise
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 25, 2012 10:00 AM CDT

Well, this part of the Justin Timberlake-Jessica Biel wedding festivities is decidedly less magical: Gawker got hold of a clip from a video that was shown at the $6.5 million nuptials, featuring homeless people and others from the streets of LA wishing the celebrity couple well. The title card read, "Greetings from Your Hollywood Friends Who Just Couldn't Make It." The 8:30 video was made by LA real estate agent Justin Huchel, a longtime friend of Timberlake's. "Funny, funny stuff," deadpans John Cook on Gawker. "Good joke." More reactions:

  • TMZ reads the video not so much as a mockery of homeless people as it is "an obvious dig at Justin and Jessica's ridiculous wealth—juxtaposed against the destitute poverty displayed in the clip."

  • You know you've been naughty when you manage to offend Radar, which calls the video "inappropriate much?" as well as "shockingly insensitive."
  • Twitter criticism has included words like "tacky," "disgusting," and "wrong," the New York Daily News reports. The Huffington Post has more tweets, including this one from VH1: "Yeah, we're sure Jessica Biel was THRILLED about that 'hilarious' homeless people video at her wedding."
Huchel's attorney wants the video taken down and is threatening a lawsuit. In a letter to Gawker, he writes, "Mr. Huchel made a video to be used and exhibited privately at Justin Timberlake's wedding as a private joke without Mr. Timberlake's knowledge." (More Justin Timberlake stories.)

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