Lance Bass Shares Why He Remained Closeted During NSYNC Years

NYSNC on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

The men of mega-successful boy-band NSYNC - Lance Bass, Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and JC Chasez - were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this week.

In his acceptance comments, Bass (who came out in 2006 after the band broke up) addressed how and why the enormous success of the group kept him in the closet.

From his remarks:

“The other thing I want to say here today is something I’ve been trying to put into words maybe my whole life. Growing up in Mississippi and in a Southern Baptist church, in a town where everyone knows your business, I had a secret: I was gay."

“And at the time, I thought that I would never be able to tell anyone because not only was I terrified of the lasting rejection I was certain that that would happen. But more than that, I didn’t want to jeopardize the careers of these guys up here, much less the hundreds of amazing people who worked tirelessly to bring NSYNC to the world."

“I thought if I had come out, NSYNC would be over. So I kept my secret. And our wildest dreams were coming true and we were so incredibly thankful, and I still am. But so many nights onstage, I’d see so many young, gay fans singing their hearts out and I wanted so badly to let you know, I was you. I just didn’t have the strength then."

“But I do today, and so let me say loud and proud to all my LGBT brothers and sisters who embrace me and show me the way to be who I am, thank you so much.”

Bass married his husband Michael Turchin in 2014 after publicly coming out in 2006.

#NSYNC pic.twitter.com/rEwkrFD9RA

— Lance Bass (@LanceBass) May 1, 2018

Honored to be up here with my brothers today. Thank you #WalkofFame for the star...and thank you @TheEllenShow and @CarsonDaly for presenting us with (mostly) kind words 😂 pic.twitter.com/ITQea2ndct

— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) April 30, 2018