Lance Bass of N'Sync Comes Out

26 July, 2006 - 6:44pm — jeff

Lance Bass, the former 'N Sync heartthrob, reveals that he is gay, in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE.

"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," says Bass, referring to bandmates Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake.

"I didn’t know: Could that be the end of ’N Sync? So I had that weight on me of like, ‘Wow, if I ever let anyone know, it's bad.' So I just never did," he says speaking about his sexual orientation for the first time with PEOPLE.

Now, after years of keeping his personal life private, the Mississippi-bred, Southern Baptist-reared Bass, 27, is publicly revealing what he first shared with his friends, then his shocked family.

"He took years to really think about how he was going to tell everyone," says his close buddy Fatone, 29, who was the first 'N Sync bandmate to find out Bass is gay. "I back him up 100 percent." Adds Bass’s longtime pal, actress Christina Applegate: "I've always accepted him as who he is. It's about his own serenity at this point."

Having pursued acting, producing and – most memorably – space flight after ’N Sync went on hiatus in 2002, Bass now is looking ahead to new beginnings. He is in a "very stable" relationship with model-actor-Amazing Race winner Reichen Lehmkuhl, 32, and is developing an Odd Couple-inspired sitcom pilot with Fatone in which his character will be gay.

Mostly, though, he’s just enjoying the relief that comes with the culmination of a long, at times emotionally fraught journey.

"The thing is, I’m not ashamed – that’s the one thing I want to say," he explains of his decision to come out. "I don't think it's wrong, I'm not devastated going through this. I'm more liberated and happy than I’ve been my whole life. I'm just happy."

As for why he's talking about this now Bass says, "The main reason I wanted to speak my mind was that (the rumors) really were starting to affect my daily life. Now it feels like it's on my terms. I'm at peace with my family, my friends, myself and God so there's really nothing else that I worry about."

For the full Q&A with Lance Bass, pick up PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

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Comments

26 July, 2006 - 7:02pm — yep_im_a_stalker

ahhh i just read that like 3

ahhh i just read that like 3 minutes ago!!
ok...he couldve safely come out sooner--i mean everyone knew!

ffs--he was in a boy band!!

***love the number 7***
Please be safe:
Do not sit, climb, or lean on the zoo fences.
If you fall in, the animals will eat you and that might make them sick

27 July, 2006 - 12:46am — toxin16

I never suspected it! lol! I

I never suspected it! lol! I just thought he was one of those straight guys who kinda act a little girly and make you think their gay and turn around and break your heart because their not. He's so hott!

27 July, 2006 - 8:30am — Disney

I think he looks pretty nifty

I think he looks pretty nifty too; and it's really great he's come out! Both for himself and for the world to see another 'big'/successful gay modern person I suppose. And Reichen from Amazing Race mmmmm. I'd have guessed him to be gay out of all of N*Sync; I'll guess now that Justin is bi. Except it's bad to speculate about people's sexualities. Except that then you have to wonder, would you feel good if (other) gay/bi/les people were thinking about your sexuality, or would you just feel more pressure about being in the closet?

-J, boy, gay and 16 all the way. Just not out to anyone yet.

26 July, 2006 - 7:23pm — oldfoxbob

About time huh?

Too bad more people in the news etc don't come out of the closet.
It would really help all of us if they did..
It shows that anyone can be gay..str8 and/or bi etc with out any harm...I am just wondering why his family was "shocked" as if they didnt know...when I came out and told my mom she said ( like the little old jewish grandmother she is)..."so what else is new?" When I interduced her to my current lover she said " Want I should get grandchildren instead I get two men and a poodle!"
oy such is life...
thanks Jeff for the news.
oldfoxbob
Genius is not a sign of intelligence, but rather
that of common sense.

27 July, 2006 - 10:53pm — thermodynamics

"It shows that anyone can be

"It shows that anyone can be gay..str8 and/or bi etc with out any harm..."

Amen to that.

-David-
If it were only as easy as 0 or 1...

26 July, 2006 - 7:47pm — shinedownkicksyouras

I always thought he was the q

I always thought he was the queer on of the group even when i was 8

Don't feel the need to define me...I can define myslef

26 July, 2006 - 8:03pm — Icarus

i think this is one of those

i think this is one of those coming out for his own benefit, even though everyone else really already knew.

oh well, good for him.

"Yes! No! Oh, damn!"

26 July, 2006 - 9:02pm — theonechickcagelle

hey, that's exciting. i feel

hey, that's exciting. i feel kind of clueless because i never suspected that.

Charlotte: "Should you really take pot from strangers?"
Carrie: "They're not strangers, they're our new friends with pot."

26 July, 2006 - 9:16pm — Panic Motion

The world stops spinning.

LMFAO.

27 July, 2006 - 12:47am — Emmett

Hehe

I remember reading in some magazine about what would happen if one of the guys in the band came out and all the guys said they really wouldn't care. I don't know why he didn't earlier if he knew that he had that sort of support.
Yayness. Congrats to him!

"Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large. I contain multitudes." ~Walt Whitman

27 July, 2006 - 3:01am — Adam A

lol he's like nobody anymore,

lol he's like nobody anymore, that's why he came out, draw some fucking attention! lol no that's mean, congrats to him, i'd fuck him!

I'M JUST A GYPSIE WITH WONDERING EYES.

27 July, 2006 - 5:38am — bratalamay

i knew it!

i kind of figured. although, its funny for me because, when i was still into n'sync, i had the hugest crush on lance. lol. maybe its a sign.

"Don't let sad people make you sad, let happy people make you happy."

27 July, 2006 - 5:43am — commander147

well its about damned time...

well its about damned time... 1 down, 3 more to go...

Obediance is Victory.
Victory is Life.

27 July, 2006 - 6:28am — NovaCat

You know what I first thought

You know what I first thought when I read this (and I'm gonna sound like a complete geek)?

Sephiroth is gay. Yeah, because Lance Bass provides the English voice acting for Sephiroth in Kingdom Hearts . . . of course, he's not Sephiroth in KH2 or Advent Children, but still . . . this oughta make some Final Fantasy fanfiction writers VERY happy.

27 July, 2006 - 7:59pm — Shenlong the Arcane

I knew it! Now I can tell my

I knew it! Now I can tell my friends girlfriends I told them so and finally collect that $1 I'm owed! Boo-yah, I win! But I wonder what has happened backstage...

28 July, 2006 - 10:24am — jeff

Hmm....

I think if Lance is brave enough to come out, hellonwheels should take his leadd and admit he owns all the N'Sync CDs. It's OK, you're among supportive friends here... we won't judge you.

Full disclosure: I saw N'Sync perform live, so... you're safe.

---
I'm a total myspace whore (and by whore, I mean I use it to sleep with people, I'm not on it often), so ADD ME AS A FRIEND (last name Walsh)

30 July, 2006 - 11:09am — Adam A

tehe LEADER IN THE CAT POR

tehe

LEADER IN THE CAT PORN INDUSTRY!!!!

29 July, 2006 - 7:11pm — EGLolita

YES, I was a Lance fangirl.

YES, I was a Lance fangirl. So were half my other friends. And it doesn't seem to be much of a surprise. More power to him.
I think it's awesome he's finally said so.

~My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
Fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die
I can fly, my friend~ Queen

29 July, 2006 - 7:32pm — utter_insanity

I loved their song "Bye Bye B

I loved their song "Bye Bye Bye" when I was a kid. Don't worry, everybody, it looks like most of us liked N'Sync at some point or another. :D

Anyways, congrats to Lance! I am SO sharing this little fact with my GSA. *grins*

~~Gay And Here To Stay~~

3 August, 2006 - 7:04am — Ebony

Oh, now there's a big surpris

Oh, now there's a big surprise, lol. Now we just need Chris to come out of the closet...heck the boy's so gay that he already FELL out of the closet.

--Yoda needs to give better advice or Yoda needs to shut the fuck up--

3 August, 2006 - 4:44pm — PokemonGeek

Actually, this didn't seem to

Actually, this didn't seem to surprise me at all. When I read this tiny paragraph stating that he was gay in my local newspaper, my first reaction was, "That's no surprise. Every one knew that!" BTW, what do you think about Clay Atkiens? I think he IS gay or maybe just Bi. But I don't like how those obsessed female fans of his think that all gay men are like that guy who started it all (I forget his name.) and evil! I quote what one woman said in a magazine article or something similar to it, "He is going to Hell with all the other gays out there." I believe it was in a Blender magazine and I was furious about that statement and wished to give that old hag a piece of my mind if those forums for Clay fans DIDN'T forbid mentionin of this scandal!

Poor is the man
Whose pleasures depend
On the permission of another
Love me, that's right, love me
I wanna be your baby
Wanting, needing, waiting
For you to justify my love
Hoping, praying
For you to justify my love
I'm open and ready
~Madonna

8 August, 2006 - 4:27am — Barralai

12 September, 2006 - 1:58pm — prongs666

hellz ya

i thought this was the greatest thing ever...i dunno, i was having a real shitty day and my dad and i went to safeway or something and it was like, right there...it was awesome!!!