Justin Timberlake brought sexy back to a crowd of 1300 people in Santa Monica over the weekend, performing a sweaty 40-minute set at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles gala -- the first time the event has been held since 2019.
Billboard reports that the gala landed JT as the entertainment because his pal Nikki DeLoach, a fellow former cast member of The All-New Mickey Mouse Club, is the chairman of the CHLA Foundation Board of Trustees.
According to Billboard, Justin and his band, billed as Justin Timberlake & the Undercovers, performed for 40 minutes, singing cover versions like Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'," Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet," Al Green's "Love and Happiness," and standards like "Smile" and "The Way You Look Tonight."
Justin also performed some of his own hits, including "Suit & Tie," "Señorita," and his number-one hit "Can't Fight the Feeling!," to which he added a bit of Bill Withers' classic "Lovely Day."
The event raised a record $5.5 million, and was attended by many celebrities with personal connections to the hospital, like Jimmy Kimmel, whose son Billy had several open-heart surgeries there when he was a baby. Billboard reports that another reason Justin may have been compelled to perform is because his wife Jessica Biel's niece had life-saving heart surgery at the hospital.
“My kids have not had the need to be at CHLA,” Justin told the crowd, according to Billboard. "I think about all the lives that all of you saved, and I just want you to know that y’all are not unnoticed -- especially to a father like me to a 7-year-old and a 2-year-old.”