Lance Bass, the openly gay member of the boy band *NSYNC, has produced a new documentary that chronicles the behind-the-scenes story of his former manager and producer titled, The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story.
In the 1990s, Lou Pearlman became fascinated by the success of the New Kids on the Block and set out to replicate their business model.
Beginning with the Backstreet Boys, the best-selling boy band of all time racking up over 130 records sold, the music impresario would go on to create and manage the bands *NSYNC, O-Town, LFO, Take 5 and US5.
All of those acts would eventually sue him in court for fraud and misrepresentation.
In 2008, Pearlman would be convicted of perpetuating a huge Ponzi scheme that bilked over $300 million from investors. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, where he would eventually die in 2016 at the age of 62.
Along the way, there were also allegations (never proven) of inappropriate sexual advances to the boys of his bands.
In 2009, Rich Cronin of LFOtold Howard Stern that auditioning for Pearlman included the producer asking Cronin to take his shirt off and then massaging the singer’s bare shoulders.
When Stern asked if Pearlman ever made a sexual move on him, Cronin reportedly replied, “Eventually he did - some other dudes went for it. And if you did, he took care of you. He’d buy them cars…”
The new documentary, available on YouTube Originals, is the first time Boy Band members themselves have shared their perspective on Pearlman’s story.
Taking part in the testimonials are Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick (*NSYNC), AJ McLean (Backstreet Boys), Aaron Carter and Ashley Parker Angel (O-Town).
In the trailer, several of the band members express their surprise when they finally starting making money, but not nearly what they felt they deserved after selling millions of records.
Bass presented the film at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, this week and sat down with the local ABC affiliate to chat on the film.
• If you're an Instagrammer, click here to get your #2018BestNine. Here's mine and I'd pretty much agree. Tons of fun with hot hubby Michael, some Rome, some Mexico, some time alone. And meeting the luminous Angela Bassett was the fan-boy moment of the year ;)
• In an interview with The LA Times, outgoing White House Chief of Staff John Kelly says inside the West Wing, Donald Trump's infamous 'wall' will not be a 'wall.' The idea of a solid concrete wall went out the window over a year ago, according to Kelly.
• The US stock market has officially logged its worse year since 2008 when the Great Recession began. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ends the year down 5.6%, and the S&P 500 lost 6.2%. #SoMuchWinning
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.
Former boy bander Lance Bass married his boyfriend of 3 years, Michael Turchin, at the Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles yesterday.
The guest list included Pussycat Dolls co-founder Robin Antin, Christina Appelgate, Carmen Electra, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump and husband Ken Todd, Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean and Gabourey Sidibe.
The festivities were filmed for a 90-minute special "Lance Loves Michael: The Lance Bass Wedding" set to air on Thursday, Feb. 5 on E!
"The whole wedding itself is very classy, you know. We wanted to plan something that could last for 100 years," Bass told E! "When we show our grandchildren this amazing tape of our wedding, the best wedding video ever, I want them to be able to look at this and be like, 'Wow, that stood the test of time.' So we're using a lot of elements in the wedding that are classy, and one of those is definitely our first dance. The song we chose is a song that lasts forever, something that is very special to us."
Mississippi residents Lance Bass and his fiancé Michael Turchin share why they are Southerners for the Freedom to Marry.
Via Freedom To Marry:
It's an exciting time to be a Southerner, Randy.
Change is really happening down here, and it's coming so much faster than I ever thought possible when I was growing up in Mississippi.
Despite the incredible progress we've made, not a single southern state has the freedom to marry yet -- and it's time we take our movement to the next level to make that happen.
People here in the South really do support loving same-sex couples and I know that from my own experience. We can win the freedom to marry here, but it's going to take all of us working together. Let's continue the conversation about why marriage matters.
Lance Bass posted this pic on his Instagram account today with The Bachelor's Juan Pablo Galavis saying, "So good to see my old pal Juan Pablo! Been waaay too long! Just keep your 'perverted' hands off me!!"
"Walking On Air" was written by producer/songwriter/singer Anise K. The song features Bella Blue and Snoop Dogg as well.
"It's fun, good dance music and that's what appealed to me," Bass said. "It had this really cool almost Arabian sound to it with the sitar which I really love and I don't think it's used enough here in America, so that was very different to me and knew it would stand out."
Playing a backstage game of "Would you ever?" Lance Bass admits he misses touring with 'NSYNC, would elope to get married, and has lots of friends who are closeted celebs who he lies for all the time.
Lance Bass announced on Instagram today that he's engaged to boyfriend Michael Turchin.
"He said YES!!" Bass tweeted "Love this man."
"Happiest guy in the world," wrote Turchin.
The couple, who live in Los Angeles, have been dating since December 2011.
Turchin is an actor and model, and self-described "nice Jewish boy" on Twitter. Bass most recently joined his former band mates on stage during the MTV video music awards.
