15 years after Lance Bass me out as gay on the ver of People magaze, the former 'N Sync boy banr reflects on as well as Colton Unrwood's g out.
Contents:
- CHILD-MOLTG GAY JEWISH DSTER PEARLMAN — WHO RIPPED $300 LN OFF THE BACK STREET BOYS, AND D NSYNC AND AARON CARTER — CROAKS SLAMMER
- EX-BOY BANR TALKS ABOUT LOU PEARLMAN, BEG GAY BOOK
- LANCE BASS ON HOW THE CON MAN BEHD NSYNC AND THE BACKSTREET BOYS PREYED ON YOUNG STARSBEHIND THE MUSICLOU PEARLMAN CREATED THE BIGGT BOY BANDS OF THE ’90S. HE MA THEM SUPERSTARS, SWDLED LNS AND, A NEW DOCUMENTARY ALLEG, PRSURED THEM TO ‘QUTNABLE SCENARS.’AMY ZIMMERMANENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED MAR. 13, 2019 5:44PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 13, 2019 4:04PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY/PILGRIM MEDIA GROUP AND LANCE BASS PRODUCTNAT, TEXAS — THE BOY BAND CON: THE LOU PEARLMAN STORY, DIRECTED BY AARON KUNKEL AND PRODUCED BY NSYNC’S OWN LANCE BASS, WILL FOREVER CHANGE THE WAY YOU THK ABOUT THE BOY BAND ERA. BEHD THE SMOOTH VOL HARMONI, SYNCHRONIZED DANCE MOV, ORDATED ‘90S ENSEMBL, UNTLS NO. 1 HS AND LEGNS OF FERVID FANS, THERE WAS ONE MAN: THE LATE, DISGRACED LOU PEARLMAN. THE PILGRIM MEDIA GROUP AND LANCE BASS PRODUCTNS DOCUMENTARY, PRENTED BY YOUTUBE ORIGALS, EP DIV TO THE HUMAN STS OF PEARLMAN’S BIGGT CRIM. INTERVIEWS WH PONZI SCHEME VICTIMS SHED SOME LIGHT ON HIS EMPIRE OF LI. PEARLMAN D VTORS, D BANKS, AND EVEN ATTEMPTED TO CHEAT HIS OWN LEGAL TEAM. HE WAS ULTIMATELY SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS PRISON ON CHARG OF NSPIRACY AND MONEY LNRG, HAVG STOLEN OVER $300 LN OM VTORS THROUGH FICT BS WH FAKED FANCIAL STATEMENTS. IN 2016, HE DIED FERAL CTODY. PEARLMAN’S DUAL LEGACI, AS A S-LONG N ARTIST AND THE MAN BEHD SOME OF THE BIGGT BOY BANDS OF ALL TIME, ARE FOREVER TERTWED. PEARLMAN ED STOLEN MONEY TO FANCE HIS BANDS, AND IMPRSED VTORS WH HIS ENTERTAMENT DTRY SUCCS STORI. HE ALSO FAMOLY SWDLED HIS OWN ARTISTS. SPEAKG TO THE DAILY BEAST AHEAD OF THE BOY BAND CON PREMIERE AT SXSW, PRODUCER LANCE BASS EXPLAED THAT, “EVERYONE THIS FILM IS A VICTIM ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.” LIKE ANY GOOD N ARTIST, LOU PEARLMAN PROMISED THE WORLD. “LOU GAVE ALL THE ABILY TO HAVE LIV TODAY,” AARON CARTER SISTS AT ONE POT THE FILM. “WHO KNOWS WHERE I WOULD HAVE END UP TAMPA, YOU KNOW? IN JAIL?” THROUGH HIS TRANS CONTENTAL RERDS, PEARLMAN WAS ABLE TO CHURN OUT A SLEW OF PROFABLE BOY BANDS, OM THE BACKSTREET BOYS AND NSYNC TO O-TOWN AND LFO. BUT PEARLMAN DIDN’T TREAT HIS ARTISTS LIKE WALKG ATMS—AT LEAST NOT AT FIRST. THE BACKSTREET BOYS’ AJ MCLEAN RELLS WHEN HE AND NICK CARTER “HAD A DOUBLE BIRTHDAY PARTY AT LOU’S HOE”; THEY WERE ALWAYS ENURAGED TO VE IENDS OVER. IT WAS A POOL PARTY. “[PEARLMAN] WAS A BIG KID,” MCLEAN NOT. “HIS HOE WAS LIKE A GIANT THEME PARK.” O-TOWN’S ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL AGRE THAT, “IT WAS LIKE DISNEYLAND,” AND SIARLY RELLS “BOY BAND PARTI” THAT PEARLMAN WOULD HOST AT THE MANSN. PEARLMAN’S EFFORTS TO GRATIATE HIMSELF WH THE GROUPS WAS, AT LEAST PART, FANCIALLY MOTIVATED. THE BACKSTREET BOYS WERE THE FIRST OF MANY MIL ACTS TO SUCCSFULLY SUE PEARLMAN, AFTER THEY SAW LOU REAP THE MAJORY OF THE REWARDS FOR THEIR ASTRONOMIL SUCCS. ONE OF THEIR MANY ISSU WH THE NTRACT WAS PEARLMAN’S OFFICIAL SIGNATN AS A SIXTH MEMBER OF THE BAND, A CLAIM HE ALSO MA WH NSYNC. “I THK HE LIVED VIRLY THROUGH ALL OF THE GROUPS, MAKG HIMSELF A PART OF EACH OF THE BANDS,” BASS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “THAT’S JT A PERSONAL CHOICE FOR HIM, THAT HE WANTED TO FEEL A PART OF THE GROUP. AND TO REALLY MA SENSE TOO BEE HE’S LIKE, LOOK, IF I’M THE SIXTH MEMBER THEN YOU WON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR LAWYERS, YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY A MANAGER…YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WH ME BEG A MEMBER. YOU GET EVERYTHG FOR EE. AND DIDN’T QUE WORK OUT THAT WAY,” BASS LGHED.BASS, WHO SPEAKS EARNTLY THE FILM ABOUT HIS CLOSE RELATNSHIP WH PEARLMAN, HOW HE “MA YOU FEEL GREAT, LIKE SOMEONE RED,” UNRWENT A PAFUL PROCS OF DISILLNMENT. “THERE WERE A FEW MOMENTS WHERE I REALIZED SOMETHG WASN’T RIGHT,” HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “ONE BEG WHEN WE FALLY GOT OUR FIRST PAYCHECK AFTER WORKG THREE YEARS, WH NO. 1 ALBUMS AND TOURS AND LNS AND LNS OF MERCHANDISE BEG SOLD, AND WE GOT A CHECK FOR $10,000 AND WE WERE STILL BT $1 LN. THAT’S WHEN I REALIZED, OK, THERE’S SOMETHG WRONG HERE. AND THEN THAT JT KD OF SNOWBALLED TO WHAT DID.” PEARLMAN HAD BEEN CHARGG THE BANDS FOR THE LAVISH DNERS THAT THEY HAD ASSUMED TO BE EXPRSNS OF HIS GRATU. EXPENSIVE “GIFTS” WERE UNKNOWGLY BANKROLLED BY THEIR SUCCS. “IT’S EASY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOMEONE LIKE ,” BASS EXPLAED, “BEE WE JT DIDN’T KNOW.”ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL SCRIB A SIAR REALIZATN THE DOCUMENTARY: “I ULD’VE MA THIS MUCH WORKG FULL-TIME AT STARBUCKS.” THROUGHOUT THE FILM, WE WATCH AS PEARLMAN’S OFFERGS OF ABUNDANCE—THE MANSN POOL PARTI AND “EE” PRIVATE JET RIS, THE PROMIS OF SUCCS AND SUPERSTARDOM—START TO ROT. PEARLMAN’S ORLANDO TATE GO OM BEG SCRIBED AS “DISNEYLAND” TO “SOMETHG OUT OF A HORROR MOVIE SET,” WH MERAS SET UP THROUGHOUT THE PREMIS AND A NTROL ROOM PEARLMAN’S BEDROOM, “SO HE ULD SEE EVERYTHG THAT WAS GOG ON.” NIKKI DELOACH, OM THE GIRL BAND INNOSENSE, SAYS THAT THEY WOULD OFTEN E A TANNG BED PEARLMAN’S HOE, LATER LEARNG THAT “HE WAS RERDG THE WHOLE THG,” AND WOULD SHOW THE BOY BANRS VIO FOOTAGE. “THAT FELT PRETTY DARN VLATG,” DELOACH NCLUS. OTHER TERVIEWE ARE ADAMANT THAT THEY NEVER WNSED SEXUALLY PREDATORY BEHAVR ON PEARLMAN’S PART. AARON CARTER IS PARTICULARLY EMPHATIC, AT ONE POT SISTG, “SHUT UP ABOUT THAT, GUYS…THAT IS NOT TE.” “IT’S ALL LI,” THE POP STAR NTU. “I WENT TO THAT TANNG BED ALL THE TIME.” IN 2007, TAKE 5’S TIM CHRISTOFORE, WHO JOED THE BAND AT 13, TOLD VANY FAIR THAT HE REMEMBERED “ONE SLEEPOVER WHEN HE AND ANOTHER BOY WERE DOZG AND PEARLMAN APPEARED AT THE FOOT OF THEIR BED, CLAD ONLY A TOWEL. ACRDG TO CHRISTOFORE, WHO NOW NS A SMALL ENTERTAMENT BS ST. PL, MNOTA, PEARLMAN PERFORMED A SWAN DIVE ONTO THE BED, WRTLG WH THE BOYS, AT WHICH POT HIS TOWEL ME OFF.” “WHEN WE FALLY GOT OUR FIRST PAYCHECK AFTER WORKG THREE YEARS, WH NO. 1 ALBUMS AND TOURS AND LNS AND LNS OF MERCHANDISE SOLD, WE GOT A CHECK FOR $10,000.” “ON A SEPARATE OCSN,” THE VANY FAIR ARTICLE NTUED, “CHRISTOFORE AND ANOTHER BAND MEMBER TELEPHONED PEARLMAN TO SAY THEY WERE G TO HIS HOME TO PLAY POOL. WHEN THEY ARRIVED, PEARLMAN MET THEM AT THE DOOR NAKED, EXPLAG HE WAS JT GETTG OUT OF THE SHOWER. ANOTHER TIME, CHRISTOFORE REMEMBERS, PEARLMAN SHOWED HIM SECURY-MERA FOOTAGE OF HIS GIRL GROUP, INNOSENSE, SUNBATHG TOPLS. ON STILL ANOTHER OCSN, PEARLMAN VED ALL FIVE BAND MEMBERS TO WATCH THE MOVIE STAR WARS HIS VIEWG ROOM. AT ONE POT THE FILM SWCHED OFF AND WAS REPLACED BY A PORNOGRAPHIC MOVIE.” IN THE BOY BAND CON, O-TOWN MEMBER ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL EXPLAS THAT, “IT’S SORT OF OUT THERE THAT LOU HAD THIS DARK QUALY TO HIM WHERE HE WOULD E HIS POWER AND FLUENCE TO TRY TO MANIPULATE YOUNG PERFORMERS TO THE REALLY QUTNABLE SCENARS.” HE RELLS BEG PULLED ASI BY A TRANS CONTENTAL EMPLOYEE AND WARNED ABOUT UNNFIRMED “MORS” THAT LOU “MIGHT HAVE A THG FOR BOYS.” “I TRIED TO PROTECT THE KIDS,” PUBLICIST JAY MAROSE TOLD VANY FAIR 2007. “YOU’D SEE LOU KD OF MOVG ON ONE OF THEM, AND YOU’D JT TELL SOMEONE, ‘GET THAT KID AWAY OM LOU BEFORE ’S TOO LATE.’” LOU PEARLMAN, RIGHT.COURTY PILGRIM MEDIA GROUP AND LANCE BASS PRODUCTNS “HE’D E TO THE REHEARSAL ROOM AND HE’D BE LIKE HEY GUYS, LET’S SEE YOUR ABS, TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRTS,” ANGEL NTU. “I’LL NEVER FET THE ONE TIME I WAS ALONE WH LOU.” PEARLMAN LLED HIM TO HIS ROOM, AND TOLD HIM THAT ORR TO BE THE JT TIMBERLAKE OR NICK CARTER OF THE GROUP, HE NEED TO BE GREAT SHAPE. “HE WAS VERY GOOD AT PLAYG ON YOUR SIRE TO BE SUCCSFUL,” ANGEL EXPLAS. “HE TAK ANOTHER STEP FURTHER AND SAYS, I MORED PHYSIL THERAPY LLEGE, I N GIVE YOUR MCL A PUMP WHOUT YOU EVEN WORKG OUT.”“THIS IS KD OF WHAT EVERYBODY’S BEEN TALKG ABOUT,” ANGEL REMEMBERS THKG. WHEN THE PHONE RANG, ANGEL SEIZED THE OPPORTUNY TO N AWAY. “HE WAS JT A VERY TOUCHY GUY,” BASS NFIRMS THE FILM, SAYG THAT PEARLMAN WOULD OFTEN GIVE THEM MASSAG. ANGEL ALSO RELLS A STORY THAT THE LATE RICHARD CRON OF LFO TOLD HIM, WHICH CRON ALSO TOLD DURG A HOWARD STERN TERVIEW. ACRDG TO CRON, PEARLMAN TOLD THE BAND THAT A VERY POWERFUL MAN EUROPE WH “A BIG RERDG PANY” ULD SKYROCKET THEIR SUCCS RETURN FOR SEXUAL FAVORS. IN CRON’S OWN WORDS, AS TOLD TO STERN, PEARLMAN SAID, “ALL HE WANTS TO DO IS TOUCH YOUR PENIS AND PLAY WH .” PEARLMAN OFFERED TO HELP THEM “PRACTICE FOR ,” ALLEGEDLY SAYG, “I WAS A PSYCHOLOGY MOR, I’M GOG TO HELP YOU THROUGH .” “HE WOULD E HIS POWER AND FLUENCE TO TRY TO MANIPULATE YOUNG PERFORMERS TO THE REALLY QUTNABLE SCENARS.” DURG THE HOWARD STERN TERVIEW, CRON ALLEGED THAT PEARLMAN “SPELLED OUT FOR ME ONE DAY,” SAYG, “‘I WANT TO TOUCH YOUR DICK, I WANT TO MASSAGE YOU A LTLE…I’M NOT GOG TO PLAY GAM ANYMORE.” CRON HYPOTHIZED THAT, “HE JT WANTED TO HAVE DUS AROUND HIM AND HAVE AN EXCE,” SAYG, “HE NEED YOU TO SG A LTLE B, BUT HE REALLY JT WANTED GUYS THAT HE THOUGHT WERE GOOD LOOKG AROUND HIM…THE GUY WAS SUCH A CREEP.” “RICH’S STORY IS ONE OF MANY,” BASS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “I’M ON TOUR WH O-TOWN RIGHT NOW, AND JT TALKG TO THOSE GUYS…I MEAN, THE STORI THEY’VE BEEN TELLG ME, I’M LIKE, OH GOSH, I WISH I HAD THE RT OF YOU ON FILM. BEE AS LONG AS I’VE KNOWN, I’VE NEVER HAD ANY NFIRMATN ABOUT HIM BEG A PREDATOR THAT WAY. I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE GRABBED SOME GUYS THAT REALLY HAD SOME STORI, BUT THEY JT WEREN’T WILLG TO E FORWARD RIGHT NOW.”HE ADD THAT ANGEL’S RELLECTNS DIDN’T SURPRISE HIM AT ALL, SAYG, “WHEN WE WERE WH [PEARLMAN], YOU KNOW, I NEVER GOT WARNED LIKE THAT, I NEVER FELT DANGER AT ALL. BUT WE WERE ONE OF HIS FIRST BANDS, AND THEN WE KD OF LEFT. EVERYONE THAT ME AFTER THE SUCCS OF TRANS CONTENTAL HAD WHOLE DIFFERENT EXPERIENC. THEY FELY SPENT A LOT MORE TIME WH LOU THAN WE DID.”ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL NCLUS THAT ’S “NOT UNMON” TO BE “PREYED ON BY THOSE WHO ARE POSNS OF POWER—’S A VERY OLD STORY.” THE BOY BAND CON DIRECTOR AARON KUNKEL STRSED THAT THERE WAS A NTUUM OF EXPLOATN, TELLG THE DAILY BEAST THAT, “THERE’S ALL DIFFERENT KDS OF WAYS THAT HE WOULD PUT YOU A QUTNABLE SUATN, AND THE GUYS JT HAD TO GO ALONG WH BEE LOU HAD THE POWER.” KUNKEL EXPLAED THAT PEARLMAN WAS ABLE TO HOLD UP THE SUCCS OF HIS EARLY BANDS AS A MEANS OF SIGNG NEW TALENT, SPE MORS OF PEARLMAN’S PREDATN AND CLEAR EVINCE OF HIS GREED. “THE SUCCS THAT BACKSTREET AND NSYNC HAD FELY GAVE LOU A LOT OF POWER OVER A LOT OF OTHER ARTISTS, BEE THEY WERE THE BEAN ON THE HILL THAT EVERYBODY ELSE WANTED TO REACH.”“THAT WAS THE DILEMMA FOR A LOT OF THE GUYS AFTER,” BASS AGREED. “THEY KNEW THEY HAD HORRIBLE NTRACTS BEE WE PRENTED THAT TO THE WORLD, BUT THEY STILL HAD TO SIGN BEE, WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GOG TO DO? IT’S THIS OR NOTHG.” HE HOP THAT THIS DOCUMENTARY WILL SERVE AS A “UTNARY TALE” FOR YOUNG TALENT ACROSS THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY. “SURROUND YOURSELF WH REALLY GREAT PEOPLE THAT WILL NOT LIE TO YOU AND THAT YOU TST, BEE THAT’S HARD TO FD THIS BS.” FOR BASS, MAKG THE DOCUMENTARY OFFERED SOME CLOSURE, GIVEN HIS ADMTEDLY PLITED FEELGS TOWARDS PEARLMAN. WHEN PEARLMAN PASSED AWAY, HE EXPLAED, HE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL. “AND DOG THIS FILM, I FEEL SO MUCH MORE RELIEF, AND I FEEL AT PEACE WH ALL, AND I 100 PERCENT HAVE FIVEN LOU…BUT I WAS HOPG TO HEAR A LTLE REMORSE OUT OF HIM AT SOME POT. I’M SORRY, OR SOMETHG—JT TO KNOW THAT HE KNEW WHAT HE DID. BUT I THK UNTIL HE DIED, HE TLY BELIEVED ALL HIS LI.” BASS RELLS THAT, LI OF AN APOLOGY, PEARLMAN NTACTED HIM “YEARS AGO” WH THE IA OF DOG A TV SHOW TOGETHER. “THE WHOLE REASON OF DOG THE TV SHOW, ACRDG TO HIM, WAS THAT HE WANTED TO HELP PAY BACK ALL THE PONZI SCHEME VICTIMS,” BASS EXPLAED, SOMEWHAT CRLOLY. “SO HE WOULD CREATE THE BOY BANDS OM PRISON AND MANAGE THEM OM PRISON AND ALL THE MONEY THAT THEY WOULD MAKE AND ACCUMULATE WOULD GO TO PAY OFF THE PONZI SCHEME PEOPLE. BUT I’M SURE WAS JT BEE HE WANTED TO BE FAMO AGA.” AMY ZIMMERMAN
CHILD-MOLTG GAY JEWISH DSTER PEARLMAN — WHO RIPPED $300 LN OFF THE BACK STREET BOYS, AND D NSYNC AND AARON CARTER — CROAKS SLAMMER
The Backstreet Boys (a mix of wh and Florida whish hispanics) had some huge hs, such as “I want that way” — not surprisgly, wh gayish, effemate voic, retard lyrics, but clean, and anyway… This was the number one song 25 untri.
EX-BOY BANR TALKS ABOUT LOU PEARLMAN, BEG GAY BOOK
[55] One of Pearlman’s former protégés, Lance Bass, stated that he had always assumed Pearlman was gay: “I knew then that I was gay, so I kd of related to him a way. Girls were mpg outsi his hotel rooms, he wassellg lns of albums and tourg the world as part of 90s boyband 'N Lance Bass was also livg on $35 a day thanks to a miserlyntract wh former manager Lou Pearlman and agonizg over how tohi his sexualy om bandmat and lns of teenage fans, acrdg to his book "Out of Sync, " released this and Jt Timberlake was rponsible for breakg up theband, Bass says the ndid tell-all 28-year-old pop star raised a strict Christian faysays he knew he was gay at age 5 and rells havg nocentcsh on boys. He reunts the horror of his mom fdg out hewas gay after she read on the Inter.
LANCE BASS ON HOW THE CON MAN BEHD NSYNC AND THE BACKSTREET BOYS PREYED ON YOUNG STARSBEHIND THE MUSICLOU PEARLMAN CREATED THE BIGGT BOY BANDS OF THE ’90S. HE MA THEM SUPERSTARS, SWDLED LNS AND, A NEW DOCUMENTARY ALLEG, PRSURED THEM TO ‘QUTNABLE SCENARS.’AMY ZIMMERMANENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED MAR. 13, 2019 5:44PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 13, 2019 4:04PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY/PILGRIM MEDIA GROUP AND LANCE BASS PRODUCTNAT, TEXAS — THE BOY BAND CON: THE LOU PEARLMAN STORY, DIRECTED BY AARON KUNKEL AND PRODUCED BY NSYNC’S OWN LANCE BASS, WILL FOREVER CHANGE THE WAY YOU THK ABOUT THE BOY BAND ERA. BEHD THE SMOOTH VOL HARMONI, SYNCHRONIZED DANCE MOV, ORDATED ‘90S ENSEMBL, UNTLS NO. 1 HS AND LEGNS OF FERVID FANS, THERE WAS ONE MAN: THE LATE, DISGRACED LOU PEARLMAN. THE PILGRIM MEDIA GROUP AND LANCE BASS PRODUCTNS DOCUMENTARY, PRENTED BY YOUTUBE ORIGALS, EP DIV TO THE HUMAN STS OF PEARLMAN’S BIGGT CRIM. INTERVIEWS WH PONZI SCHEME VICTIMS SHED SOME LIGHT ON HIS EMPIRE OF LI. PEARLMAN D VTORS, D BANKS, AND EVEN ATTEMPTED TO CHEAT HIS OWN LEGAL TEAM. HE WAS ULTIMATELY SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS PRISON ON CHARG OF NSPIRACY AND MONEY LNRG, HAVG STOLEN OVER $300 LN OM VTORS THROUGH FICT BS WH FAKED FANCIAL STATEMENTS. IN 2016, HE DIED FERAL CTODY. PEARLMAN’S DUAL LEGACI, AS A S-LONG N ARTIST AND THE MAN BEHD SOME OF THE BIGGT BOY BANDS OF ALL TIME, ARE FOREVER TERTWED. PEARLMAN ED STOLEN MONEY TO FANCE HIS BANDS, AND IMPRSED VTORS WH HIS ENTERTAMENT DTRY SUCCS STORI. HE ALSO FAMOLY SWDLED HIS OWN ARTISTS. SPEAKG TO THE DAILY BEAST AHEAD OF THE BOY BAND CON PREMIERE AT SXSW, PRODUCER LANCE BASS EXPLAED THAT, “EVERYONE THIS FILM IS A VICTIM ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.” LIKE ANY GOOD N ARTIST, LOU PEARLMAN PROMISED THE WORLD. “LOU GAVE ALL THE ABILY TO HAVE LIV TODAY,” AARON CARTER SISTS AT ONE POT THE FILM. “WHO KNOWS WHERE I WOULD HAVE END UP TAMPA, YOU KNOW? IN JAIL?” THROUGH HIS TRANS CONTENTAL RERDS, PEARLMAN WAS ABLE TO CHURN OUT A SLEW OF PROFABLE BOY BANDS, OM THE BACKSTREET BOYS AND NSYNC TO O-TOWN AND LFO. BUT PEARLMAN DIDN’T TREAT HIS ARTISTS LIKE WALKG ATMS—AT LEAST NOT AT FIRST. THE BACKSTREET BOYS’ AJ MCLEAN RELLS WHEN HE AND NICK CARTER “HAD A DOUBLE BIRTHDAY PARTY AT LOU’S HOE”; THEY WERE ALWAYS ENURAGED TO VE IENDS OVER. IT WAS A POOL PARTY. “[PEARLMAN] WAS A BIG KID,” MCLEAN NOT. “HIS HOE WAS LIKE A GIANT THEME PARK.” O-TOWN’S ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL AGRE THAT, “IT WAS LIKE DISNEYLAND,” AND SIARLY RELLS “BOY BAND PARTI” THAT PEARLMAN WOULD HOST AT THE MANSN. PEARLMAN’S EFFORTS TO GRATIATE HIMSELF WH THE GROUPS WAS, AT LEAST PART, FANCIALLY MOTIVATED. THE BACKSTREET BOYS WERE THE FIRST OF MANY MIL ACTS TO SUCCSFULLY SUE PEARLMAN, AFTER THEY SAW LOU REAP THE MAJORY OF THE REWARDS FOR THEIR ASTRONOMIL SUCCS. ONE OF THEIR MANY ISSU WH THE NTRACT WAS PEARLMAN’S OFFICIAL SIGNATN AS A SIXTH MEMBER OF THE BAND, A CLAIM HE ALSO MA WH NSYNC. “I THK HE LIVED VIRLY THROUGH ALL OF THE GROUPS, MAKG HIMSELF A PART OF EACH OF THE BANDS,” BASS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “THAT’S JT A PERSONAL CHOICE FOR HIM, THAT HE WANTED TO FEEL A PART OF THE GROUP. AND TO REALLY MA SENSE TOO BEE HE’S LIKE, LOOK, IF I’M THE SIXTH MEMBER THEN YOU WON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR LAWYERS, YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY A MANAGER…YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WH ME BEG A MEMBER. YOU GET EVERYTHG FOR EE. AND DIDN’T QUE WORK OUT THAT WAY,” BASS LGHED.BASS, WHO SPEAKS EARNTLY THE FILM ABOUT HIS CLOSE RELATNSHIP WH PEARLMAN, HOW HE “MA YOU FEEL GREAT, LIKE SOMEONE RED,” UNRWENT A PAFUL PROCS OF DISILLNMENT. “THERE WERE A FEW MOMENTS WHERE I REALIZED SOMETHG WASN’T RIGHT,” HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “ONE BEG WHEN WE FALLY GOT OUR FIRST PAYCHECK AFTER WORKG THREE YEARS, WH NO. 1 ALBUMS AND TOURS AND LNS AND LNS OF MERCHANDISE BEG SOLD, AND WE GOT A CHECK FOR $10,000 AND WE WERE STILL BT $1 LN. THAT’S WHEN I REALIZED, OK, THERE’S SOMETHG WRONG HERE. AND THEN THAT JT KD OF SNOWBALLED TO WHAT DID.” PEARLMAN HAD BEEN CHARGG THE BANDS FOR THE LAVISH DNERS THAT THEY HAD ASSUMED TO BE EXPRSNS OF HIS GRATU. EXPENSIVE “GIFTS” WERE UNKNOWGLY BANKROLLED BY THEIR SUCCS. “IT’S EASY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOMEONE LIKE ,” BASS EXPLAED, “BEE WE JT DIDN’T KNOW.”ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL SCRIB A SIAR REALIZATN THE DOCUMENTARY: “I ULD’VE MA THIS MUCH WORKG FULL-TIME AT STARBUCKS.” THROUGHOUT THE FILM, WE WATCH AS PEARLMAN’S OFFERGS OF ABUNDANCE—THE MANSN POOL PARTI AND “EE” PRIVATE JET RIS, THE PROMIS OF SUCCS AND SUPERSTARDOM—START TO ROT. PEARLMAN’S ORLANDO TATE GO OM BEG SCRIBED AS “DISNEYLAND” TO “SOMETHG OUT OF A HORROR MOVIE SET,” WH MERAS SET UP THROUGHOUT THE PREMIS AND A NTROL ROOM PEARLMAN’S BEDROOM, “SO HE ULD SEE EVERYTHG THAT WAS GOG ON.” NIKKI DELOACH, OM THE GIRL BAND INNOSENSE, SAYS THAT THEY WOULD OFTEN E A TANNG BED PEARLMAN’S HOE, LATER LEARNG THAT “HE WAS RERDG THE WHOLE THG,” AND WOULD SHOW THE BOY BANRS VIO FOOTAGE. “THAT FELT PRETTY DARN VLATG,” DELOACH NCLUS. OTHER TERVIEWE ARE ADAMANT THAT THEY NEVER WNSED SEXUALLY PREDATORY BEHAVR ON PEARLMAN’S PART. AARON CARTER IS PARTICULARLY EMPHATIC, AT ONE POT SISTG, “SHUT UP ABOUT THAT, GUYS…THAT IS NOT TE.” “IT’S ALL LI,” THE POP STAR NTU. “I WENT TO THAT TANNG BED ALL THE TIME.” IN 2007, TAKE 5’S TIM CHRISTOFORE, WHO JOED THE BAND AT 13, TOLD VANY FAIR THAT HE REMEMBERED “ONE SLEEPOVER WHEN HE AND ANOTHER BOY WERE DOZG AND PEARLMAN APPEARED AT THE FOOT OF THEIR BED, CLAD ONLY A TOWEL. ACRDG TO CHRISTOFORE, WHO NOW NS A SMALL ENTERTAMENT BS ST. PL, MNOTA, PEARLMAN PERFORMED A SWAN DIVE ONTO THE BED, WRTLG WH THE BOYS, AT WHICH POT HIS TOWEL ME OFF.” “WHEN WE FALLY GOT OUR FIRST PAYCHECK AFTER WORKG THREE YEARS, WH NO. 1 ALBUMS AND TOURS AND LNS AND LNS OF MERCHANDISE SOLD, WE GOT A CHECK FOR $10,000.” “ON A SEPARATE OCSN,” THE VANY FAIR ARTICLE NTUED, “CHRISTOFORE AND ANOTHER BAND MEMBER TELEPHONED PEARLMAN TO SAY THEY WERE G TO HIS HOME TO PLAY POOL. WHEN THEY ARRIVED, PEARLMAN MET THEM AT THE DOOR NAKED, EXPLAG HE WAS JT GETTG OUT OF THE SHOWER. ANOTHER TIME, CHRISTOFORE REMEMBERS, PEARLMAN SHOWED HIM SECURY-MERA FOOTAGE OF HIS GIRL GROUP, INNOSENSE, SUNBATHG TOPLS. ON STILL ANOTHER OCSN, PEARLMAN VED ALL FIVE BAND MEMBERS TO WATCH THE MOVIE STAR WARS HIS VIEWG ROOM. AT ONE POT THE FILM SWCHED OFF AND WAS REPLACED BY A PORNOGRAPHIC MOVIE.” IN THE BOY BAND CON, O-TOWN MEMBER ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL EXPLAS THAT, “IT’S SORT OF OUT THERE THAT LOU HAD THIS DARK QUALY TO HIM WHERE HE WOULD E HIS POWER AND FLUENCE TO TRY TO MANIPULATE YOUNG PERFORMERS TO THE REALLY QUTNABLE SCENARS.” HE RELLS BEG PULLED ASI BY A TRANS CONTENTAL EMPLOYEE AND WARNED ABOUT UNNFIRMED “MORS” THAT LOU “MIGHT HAVE A THG FOR BOYS.” “I TRIED TO PROTECT THE KIDS,” PUBLICIST JAY MAROSE TOLD VANY FAIR 2007. “YOU’D SEE LOU KD OF MOVG ON ONE OF THEM, AND YOU’D JT TELL SOMEONE, ‘GET THAT KID AWAY OM LOU BEFORE ’S TOO LATE.’” LOU PEARLMAN, RIGHT.COURTY PILGRIM MEDIA GROUP AND LANCE BASS PRODUCTNS “HE’D E TO THE REHEARSAL ROOM AND HE’D BE LIKE HEY GUYS, LET’S SEE YOUR ABS, TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRTS,” ANGEL NTU. “I’LL NEVER FET THE ONE TIME I WAS ALONE WH LOU.” PEARLMAN LLED HIM TO HIS ROOM, AND TOLD HIM THAT ORR TO BE THE JT TIMBERLAKE OR NICK CARTER OF THE GROUP, HE NEED TO BE GREAT SHAPE. “HE WAS VERY GOOD AT PLAYG ON YOUR SIRE TO BE SUCCSFUL,” ANGEL EXPLAS. “HE TAK ANOTHER STEP FURTHER AND SAYS, I MORED PHYSIL THERAPY LLEGE, I N GIVE YOUR MCL A PUMP WHOUT YOU EVEN WORKG OUT.”“THIS IS KD OF WHAT EVERYBODY’S BEEN TALKG ABOUT,” ANGEL REMEMBERS THKG. WHEN THE PHONE RANG, ANGEL SEIZED THE OPPORTUNY TO N AWAY. “HE WAS JT A VERY TOUCHY GUY,” BASS NFIRMS THE FILM, SAYG THAT PEARLMAN WOULD OFTEN GIVE THEM MASSAG. ANGEL ALSO RELLS A STORY THAT THE LATE RICHARD CRON OF LFO TOLD HIM, WHICH CRON ALSO TOLD DURG A HOWARD STERN TERVIEW. ACRDG TO CRON, PEARLMAN TOLD THE BAND THAT A VERY POWERFUL MAN EUROPE WH “A BIG RERDG PANY” ULD SKYROCKET THEIR SUCCS RETURN FOR SEXUAL FAVORS. IN CRON’S OWN WORDS, AS TOLD TO STERN, PEARLMAN SAID, “ALL HE WANTS TO DO IS TOUCH YOUR PENIS AND PLAY WH .” PEARLMAN OFFERED TO HELP THEM “PRACTICE FOR ,” ALLEGEDLY SAYG, “I WAS A PSYCHOLOGY MOR, I’M GOG TO HELP YOU THROUGH .” “HE WOULD E HIS POWER AND FLUENCE TO TRY TO MANIPULATE YOUNG PERFORMERS TO THE REALLY QUTNABLE SCENARS.” DURG THE HOWARD STERN TERVIEW, CRON ALLEGED THAT PEARLMAN “SPELLED OUT FOR ME ONE DAY,” SAYG, “‘I WANT TO TOUCH YOUR DICK, I WANT TO MASSAGE YOU A LTLE…I’M NOT GOG TO PLAY GAM ANYMORE.” CRON HYPOTHIZED THAT, “HE JT WANTED TO HAVE DUS AROUND HIM AND HAVE AN EXCE,” SAYG, “HE NEED YOU TO SG A LTLE B, BUT HE REALLY JT WANTED GUYS THAT HE THOUGHT WERE GOOD LOOKG AROUND HIM…THE GUY WAS SUCH A CREEP.” “RICH’S STORY IS ONE OF MANY,” BASS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “I’M ON TOUR WH O-TOWN RIGHT NOW, AND JT TALKG TO THOSE GUYS…I MEAN, THE STORI THEY’VE BEEN TELLG ME, I’M LIKE, OH GOSH, I WISH I HAD THE RT OF YOU ON FILM. BEE AS LONG AS I’VE KNOWN, I’VE NEVER HAD ANY NFIRMATN ABOUT HIM BEG A PREDATOR THAT WAY. I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE GRABBED SOME GUYS THAT REALLY HAD SOME STORI, BUT THEY JT WEREN’T WILLG TO E FORWARD RIGHT NOW.”HE ADD THAT ANGEL’S RELLECTNS DIDN’T SURPRISE HIM AT ALL, SAYG, “WHEN WE WERE WH [PEARLMAN], YOU KNOW, I NEVER GOT WARNED LIKE THAT, I NEVER FELT DANGER AT ALL. BUT WE WERE ONE OF HIS FIRST BANDS, AND THEN WE KD OF LEFT. EVERYONE THAT ME AFTER THE SUCCS OF TRANS CONTENTAL HAD WHOLE DIFFERENT EXPERIENC. THEY FELY SPENT A LOT MORE TIME WH LOU THAN WE DID.”ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL NCLUS THAT ’S “NOT UNMON” TO BE “PREYED ON BY THOSE WHO ARE POSNS OF POWER—’S A VERY OLD STORY.” THE BOY BAND CON DIRECTOR AARON KUNKEL STRSED THAT THERE WAS A NTUUM OF EXPLOATN, TELLG THE DAILY BEAST THAT, “THERE’S ALL DIFFERENT KDS OF WAYS THAT HE WOULD PUT YOU A QUTNABLE SUATN, AND THE GUYS JT HAD TO GO ALONG WH BEE LOU HAD THE POWER.” KUNKEL EXPLAED THAT PEARLMAN WAS ABLE TO HOLD UP THE SUCCS OF HIS EARLY BANDS AS A MEANS OF SIGNG NEW TALENT, SPE MORS OF PEARLMAN’S PREDATN AND CLEAR EVINCE OF HIS GREED. “THE SUCCS THAT BACKSTREET AND NSYNC HAD FELY GAVE LOU A LOT OF POWER OVER A LOT OF OTHER ARTISTS, BEE THEY WERE THE BEAN ON THE HILL THAT EVERYBODY ELSE WANTED TO REACH.”“THAT WAS THE DILEMMA FOR A LOT OF THE GUYS AFTER,” BASS AGREED. “THEY KNEW THEY HAD HORRIBLE NTRACTS BEE WE PRENTED THAT TO THE WORLD, BUT THEY STILL HAD TO SIGN BEE, WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GOG TO DO? IT’S THIS OR NOTHG.” HE HOP THAT THIS DOCUMENTARY WILL SERVE AS A “UTNARY TALE” FOR YOUNG TALENT ACROSS THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY. “SURROUND YOURSELF WH REALLY GREAT PEOPLE THAT WILL NOT LIE TO YOU AND THAT YOU TST, BEE THAT’S HARD TO FD THIS BS.” FOR BASS, MAKG THE DOCUMENTARY OFFERED SOME CLOSURE, GIVEN HIS ADMTEDLY PLITED FEELGS TOWARDS PEARLMAN. WHEN PEARLMAN PASSED AWAY, HE EXPLAED, HE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL. “AND DOG THIS FILM, I FEEL SO MUCH MORE RELIEF, AND I FEEL AT PEACE WH ALL, AND I 100 PERCENT HAVE FIVEN LOU…BUT I WAS HOPG TO HEAR A LTLE REMORSE OUT OF HIM AT SOME POT. I’M SORRY, OR SOMETHG—JT TO KNOW THAT HE KNEW WHAT HE DID. BUT I THK UNTIL HE DIED, HE TLY BELIEVED ALL HIS LI.” BASS RELLS THAT, LI OF AN APOLOGY, PEARLMAN NTACTED HIM “YEARS AGO” WH THE IA OF DOG A TV SHOW TOGETHER. “THE WHOLE REASON OF DOG THE TV SHOW, ACRDG TO HIM, WAS THAT HE WANTED TO HELP PAY BACK ALL THE PONZI SCHEME VICTIMS,” BASS EXPLAED, SOMEWHAT CRLOLY. “SO HE WOULD CREATE THE BOY BANDS OM PRISON AND MANAGE THEM OM PRISON AND ALL THE MONEY THAT THEY WOULD MAKE AND ACCUMULATE WOULD GO TO PAY OFF THE PONZI SCHEME PEOPLE. BUT I’M SURE WAS JT BEE HE WANTED TO BE FAMO AGA.” AMY ZIMMERMAN
And how his g outon the ver of "People" magaze brought flowers and phone llsof support om Elton John and Jennifer before he was embraced as a gay man, Bass says he spentyears worryg about what his secret would do to the stggled to f wh the rt his bandmat, who hadgirliends. "Later on he told me he knew right then and there I was gay, but that he really didn't re one way or the other, " Bass small-town boy om Clton, Miss., says he liked Pearlmanom the start, scribg the now notor boy-band mogul as "alarge man" who "had a way of makg you feel special. The band unter-sued for $25 ln and ultimately got to keep their name, wh the su beg settled out of 2006, Lance me out as gay on the ver of People magaze, and durg the group's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony 2018, he opened up about stgglg to accept his sexualy durg his time the band.
"So many nights on stage, I'd see so many young, gay fans sgg their hearts out and I wanted so badly to let you know, I was you, " Lance said. So, I was like, 'I'm gay.
"If you me out, if anyone knew you were gay, was a disaster and people really flipped out.