13 December 2019
Newsdesk
Lance Bass felt "guilty" about the relief he felt learning about the death of embattled former NYSNC manager Lou Pearlman.
Pearlman, who took charge of other popular U.S. bands, like O-Town, was accused of running one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in history, running up more than $300 million (£240 million) in debts.
Now former NSYNC star Bass admits he felt both relieved and outraged when he died in 2016.
"When I heard that Lou Pearlman had passed away, I was so confused on exactly how to feel," he says in new documentary The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story, which he co-produced. "I was like, ‘How could you die right now when we don't have this closure? You need to apologize! Like, there are so many people who are waiting for you to realise what you did.' And it p***ed me off that he passed away."
He adds, "You feel happy that no one else is going to be affected by him, and then you feel guilty because you feel that way. You loved him, you hated him, there are so many things that come out with Lou Pearlman." He also notes that the passage of time has helped the former boyband stars "start healing".
After being apprehended, Pearlman pleaded guilty to conspiracy, money laundering, and making false statements, and in 2008, he was convicted and sentenced to up to 25 years in prison. He served eight years before dying of heart failure.
The documentary will air as part of U.S. news show 20/20 on 13 December.
