Official says Bruce Springsteen was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 2020

Bruce Springsteen has never been known for public intoxication and has said that he was 22 when he consumed alcohol for the first time. But TMZ and others are reporting that the veteran rocker, now 71, was arrested for driving while intoxicated at the New Jersey Shore on November 14, 2020.

In an official statement on February 9, Brenda Ling — a spokesperson for the Gateway National Recreation Area in New Jersey — said, "Springsteen was cooperative throughout the process."

In his 2016 autobiography, "Born to Run" — which was named after a famous album and song released in 1975 — the New Jersey native discussed his father, Douglas Springsteen's battle with alcoholism. The rocker recalled, "My experience with my father had been enough. The terrifying, all-engulfing presence he became when he drank convinced me to never go there. He lost who he was."

Over the years, Springsteen has been outspoken about politics and liberal causes, and many of his songs have decidedly working class themes — including his 1984 hit "Born in the U.S.A.," which described the financial struggles of a Vietnam veteran. Springsteen has objected to the use of that song at Republican events, stressing that it isn't promoting a right-wing message.

Springsteen was a vehement critic of Donald Trump's presidency. The Boss supported Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and threatened to move to Australia if Trump won a second term. And when President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were inaugurated on January 20, Springsteen performed "Land of Hope and Dreams" at the Lincoln Memorial.