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Joey Fatone Recalls Jarring Way He Learned *NSYNC Bandmate Lance Bass Was Gay
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Joey Fatone said he became the first *NSYNC member to discover bandmate Lance Bass was gay when he walked in on him during an intimate moment. Fatone told the anecdote in his “Boy Band Confidential” ID docuseries, which premiered this week. “We go out one night,” Fatone said in a clip shared by USA Today. “We all go back to Lance’s house. I pass out in one of his guest bedrooms. I wake up at, like, 3 o’clock in the morning. I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, I got to leave.’ I go to his bedroom, open up the door. There’s nobody in there.” Fatone moved on to Bass’ office and said, “I open up the door and he’s sitting there, and there’s a guy straddled on top of him.” Bass chimed in that he was at the computer with his very first boyfriend. Fatone clarified they were not naked, but that he remembered the room “got quiet.” He apologized for walking in, but Lance invited him to stay. “I was like, ‘Surprise,’” Bass said. Fatone said he joked that Bass’ mother was going to kill him. “He’s like, ‘Oh, please. I don’t care,’” Bass said of Fatone’s response. “I knew he wouldn’t care, but it was just so nice to hear those words, and finally (have) one of the members of your group know and be like, ‘I don’t care.’” Bass asked Fatone to keep his secret for the time being. “Lance, I love you,” Fatone recalled saying. “You’re my brother. You let me know when it’s right for you to tell.” Bass came out publicly in a 2006 People interview, four years after the band had effectively broken up. He married Michael Turchin in 2014. The couple welcomed twins in 2021. Fatone, Bass and bandmates Chris Kirkpatrick, Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez produced a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, “It’s Gonna Be Me” and six top 10 hits in the late ’90s and early 2000s. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
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