Singer and entrepreneur Lance Bass has opened up about an incident during his days with *NSYNC that sent him into a panic: someone asked him if he was gay.
In a new interview with Vulture, Bass reminisces about his days as a boy-bander in honor of the 20th Anniversary of the *NSYNC album No Strings Attached. Release of the album helped cement the group as pop giants, though for Bass, who was still in the closet at the time, memories of those days bring bittersweet reminders.
While shooting the video for the song “It’s Gonna Be Me,” bandmate Chris Kirkpatrick dropped a bomb by asking Bass about his sexuality.
Related: Lance Bass just lobbied ABC to do an all-gay version of this iconic show
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“It was a big day for me because it was the first day someone asked me if I was gay,” Bass recalled. “Chris Kirkpatrick sat me down and said, ‘Hey dude, are you gay?’ No one had ever asked me that.”
“I was super in the closet and way too young to even know or care what was happening,” Bass continued. “But I remember getting so freaked out on that set because he caught me so off guard. I’m sure at that point people were wondering — so why don’t you have a girlfriend? It was very blunt. It scared me. I said, ‘No, what are you talking about?’ I wasn’t even telling myself. I definitely wasn’t gonna tell Chris.”
Six years later, Bass would come out in a cover story for People magazine. At the time, he also explained that he purposely waited to come out until after *NSYNC dissolved.
“I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys’ careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything,” he said. “I didn’t know: Could that be the end of *NSYNC? So I had that weight on me of like, wow if I ever let anyone know, it’s bad. So I just never did.”
Now 42, Bass has given up his boy band bops for a career as an entrepreneur. He and his husband Michael Turchin own a popular West Hollywood bar & restaurant together. The couple is also expecting twins through surrogacy, due in October 2021.
winemaker
This kinds of reminds me about Liberace and the rumors surrounding him. Liberace denied being gay till the day he died of aids despite being one of the most flamboyant entertainers. Those who’d seen his shows in Las Vegas knew immediately what was going on. As for Lance Bass being asked ‘are you gay’, this is nobody’s God damned business, period. At least he kept this bit of private information ‘private; unlike the talentless attention whores, the kardashians who broadcast all their dirty laundry in public trying to be relevant and are from relevant as most people don’t really give a rats ripe ass. It seems everyone today wants to know the dirt on everyone else yet when asked something like of them, they clam up.
Cam
The same right wing troll that was attacking women and “Liberals” on the other thread, of COURSE thinks being gay is something shameful that should be kept Private.
You Republican trolls are HUGE fans of the closet.
Mack
Cam, I don’t disagree with you often but on this I disagree. It’s his business and when he wanted to disclose it was his business as well. If he chose to have it kept private then it was his right to do so. I don’t think any one should be force out of the closet unless they’re someone in power who is gay and putting forth laws that will harm gays.
Fahd
Very grouchy. There’s no comparison to Liberace. It seems like you’re trying to demean them both since one concealed “the dirt” and the other revealed “the dirt”, but either way, it’s “dirt”.
Cam
@Mack
Hi Mack, I wasn’t disagreeing with that Bass felt he needed to do. I was pointing out that Winemaker was speaking about being LGBTQ as if it was something shameful that must be hidden. Sorry if I wasn’t clear on that.
BoomerMyles
Liberace denied it because he won a major libel lawsuit back in 1959. He denied being a homosexual under oath and was always afraid of a perjury charge even decades later if he ever came out.
Fahd
In the interview, Lance is just telling what happened and how he felt about it. No one can change the past. His retelling of past events and what he felt at the time can help everyone learn. As much money as Bass has and in comparison to other former pop stars, I think he maintains a pretty even keel. I am not that critical of him.
JRamonMc
I have to agree it really is no one’s business till you’re ready to come out. Not everyone agrees with this of course, but it’s your life to live, nobody else’s.
Troyfight
@JRamonMC ….so true…. Chris Kirkpatrick always came across as a snarky, confrontational, noisy asshole. Always. Not just in this situation. The worst in the group.
ScottOnEarth
Which of the two people who work at Queerty keeps thinking it’s a good idea to write misleading headlines? No one tried to out Lance in this story. Someone asked if he was gay. End of story. The real issue is the burden he carried, being constantly concerned that his being gay might end the band’s fortunes. Funny, though, I always thought Justin was the gay one.
Cam
Asking if somebody is gay is kinda trying to out them it seems. Doesn’t mean he would go b=public but he was pushing.
Jim
Did this story have a purpose?
Cam
Did your comment?
jcool
yes. the purpose of this story is to let those curious gay fans know that lance didn’t blow any of his band mates while on the road. we all know about menudo.