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Justin Timberlake keeps promise, attends Marine Corps ball

Posted at 2:55 AM, Nov 14, 2011
and last updated 2012-03-01 07:27:49-05

( CBS 6 Viewer / November 12, 2011 ) Justin Timberlake at the Marine Corps ball in Richmond, VA.

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RICHMOND, VA (WTVR) -Justin Timberlake kept his word and escorted a U.S. Marine to her unit’s annual Marine Corps ball, according to a marine who attended the event. [Click here to see more user submitted photos of Justin Timberlake at the ball.]

Earlier this month, the Marine Corps Times confirmed Timberlake planned to attend the event.

Cpl. Kelsey De Santis invited the Grammy award winning singer and Emmy award winning actor to the ball via YouTube.[Click HERE to watch the invite]

“So, Justin,” said De Santis, in the video clip. “You want to call out my girl, Mila? Well, I’m going to call you out and ask you to come to the Marine Corps ball with me on Nov. 12 in Washington, D.C.”

“And if you can’t go, all I have to say is cry me a river.”

Although De Santis said Washington D.C. in the video, the Marine Corps ball was actually Saturday night at the GreaterRichmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia.

The wife of a Marine who attended the ball snapped this picture of Timberlake at the event.

She reported that her husband said Timberlake posed for pictures and seemed like a normal guy.

Aimee Lupino, a make-up artist and stylist who helped De Santis get ready for the big night said that De Santis "was not stressed."

"She printed a pic of herself and autographed it for Justin!," wrote Lupino.

Lupino also said that Timberlake received a gift bag of things that De Santis put together for him, related to what she believes were things having to do with Marine Corps life.

Later in the evening De Santis changed from her Marine Corps uniform into an evening gown. [See a photo of the group before Justin Timberlake's manager picked them up for the ball]

Lupino also made it clear that De Santis wasn't the only lucky one. "Kelsey is just a beautiful person inside and out and Justin Timberlake was lucky to be her date to the Marine Corps Ball!," she said.

Timberlake seemed to not only have a great time with De Santis, he also had a powerful experience. He wrote about the evening and said "I was truly moved."

He also said, "Thank you Corporal Kelsey DeSantis. Thank you for inviting me. And, thank you for being my hero." [Read more about the night on his website]

Cpl. De Santis said her YouTube invitation was inspired by the YouTube invite Sgt. Scott Moore addressed to actress Mila Kunis.  Kunis accepted his invitation to attend a ball in North Carolina.[Click HERE to watch the video invite from Moore]

Prior to the ball, people expressed doubt that he would actually show.

"It was an awesome experience," said Kim Atkins Allen, a wife of a Marine who had never previously attended the ball.

"And, truly, I had heard he was coming, but didn't believe it until I actually saw him."

If you saw Justin around town, or happened to attend the ball, send your pics to newstips@wtvr.com and we will get them online.